Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School, #1)(39)

Quick thinking.

I hear Kayla sigh and then the sounds of knees moving along the ductwork. When she nears, I see that her golden locks are particularly ungolden and dark rings frame her amber eyes. She extends a quivering hand and Jax pulls her out. Her wings pop out and begin to flutter as the scaffolding shakes beneath us. She puts her hands out.

“Go ahead,” she says. “Turn me in.” Jax and I look at each other. “I know you’ve figured out what I’m up to.” She looks at me accusingly. “Why do you think I’ve been avoiding you?”

If Kayla thinks we know exactly what she’s done, maybe we can work this conversation to our advantage. “I’ve been on to you since the day I got here,” I lie and hope Jax plays along. “We know you’re behind the gargoyle attack and everything that went wrong on Royal Day.”

A single tear plops down her cheek. “I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt,” she surprises me by saying. “Gottie said she’d leave the kids alone.”

Gottie. Jax glances at me. “If you ’fess up to us now, maybe we’ll make sure Flora and the dwarf squad go easier on you.”

Kayla nods sadly. “I know the world sees Gottie as the monster who cursed Sleeping Beauty, but when I lost my family to Rumpelstiltskin, she was kind to me when no one else was. I’d been busted for flying without a license, illegal use of magic, and casting love spells on people who hate each other. People in my village didn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth.”

I think of what would happen to me in the same situation. Father may not adore me, but he wouldn’t leave me out in the cold and no one in our village would either. “Tell us the truth—do you know why Rumpelstiltskin took your family away?”

Kayla grips the scaffolding tightly. “Because I asked him to.” I’m momentarily stunned. “I didn’t understand what I was doing, okay? I begged Rumpelstiltskin to get Mother to forget what I’d done so I wouldn’t have to go to FTRS. I didn’t know he’d wipe my family’s memories clean so they couldn’t even remember me.” She looks away. “I should have known his help would come at a price.”

“Rumpelstiltskin uses people to get what he wants,” Jax says grimly.

“That’s why I went looking for Gottie.” Kayla wipes her nose with the sleeve of the gym shirt she’s still wearing. “I knew someone with magic that powerful had to be able to break Rumpelstiltskin’s curse.” Her wings flutter slightly. “When I found her, it was as if she was expecting me. She offered me shelter and a warm meal, and tried to help me.

“She said if I agreed to go to FTRS and act as her mole, then she’d find a way to break my contract with Rumpel. I’ve been trying to please her ever since.” Kayla looks at me mournfully. “I was only trying to get my family back,” she cries. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. That’s why I was always trying to help you escape, Jax. I thought I could get the people closest to me away before anything bad happened.”

“And I made a good cover,” I say, realizing it. “Flora was on to you. By taking the new girl around, you could show up more places without anyone noticing, right?”

“Yes,” Kayla admits, and her cheeks turn beet red. “But even if you were here when Gottie’s plan went down, I wouldn’t have let her hurt you. I swear!”

“Just like you didn’t mean for her gargoyles to attack me and Jax or for all of us to almost get killed in the gym,” I point out.

“I knew you’d be okay. Gottie doesn’t have the strength to cast a spell as big as the one she wants to do yet.” Kayla’s wings flutter faster. “That’s why she needs Harlow and the others to work with her. She’s been trying to turn Harlow since I got here. I think she’s succeeded. But the others, I don’t know. She doesn’t give me many details.”

“What do you mean she’s not strong enough?” I ask.

“She wants to wipe everyone in Enchantasia’s memories clean,” Kayla explains. “If she and whomever she’s working with cast that spell, everyone will believe the villains rule the kingdom. The royals will disappear when she burns down the school,” she says hoarsely. “She wanted to do it on Royal Day, but Gilly screwed that up.” Kayla looks at me. “She knows who you are now.”

My family. My boot. Jax was right. I could run, but I couldn’t hide for long if Gottie was really coming for us. I had to help. “How can we stop her?”

“Gottie’s consumed with making the curse happen at the ball because the royal court will be together,” Kayla tells us. “She’s not going to fail twice, which is why she’s so desperate for inside help. She’s already gotten to Harlow. Her hope is to turn Flora next. I don’t know if she has, but she’s met with Wolfington. If she turns him, Cleo will follow and then they’ll have a team so powerful no one can stop them.”

“We can.”

I look down. Maxine and Ollie are standing at the bottom of the scaffolding.

“We’ve been trailing you since the vegetable patch,” Ollie calls up to us. “I did a card trick with one of the cafeteria fairies while Maxine stole her key to the hallway you guys went down that locked behind you.” He points to Jax. “Dude, why didn’t you tell me you’re royal? I’ve been dying to meet your sister!”