Free Pennyroyal Academy by M.A. Larson Page A

on about?” said Evie.
    â€œIt’s a fairy’s tale,” said Maggie, her face twisted in confusion. “About a highborn girl whose goodness is so powerful she rids the world of witches once and for all. But . . . it’s not meant to be true.”
    â€œHeed me!” hissed the witch, training her cane on the staff. “You must instruct this class as any other. This Warrior Princess must succeed of her own merits. Should you allow the unfit to remain at your academy in an attempt to trick the Fates, the power of your Warrior Princess shall vanish, never to return again. Do not trifle with the Fates, for the Fates will trifle back!”
    Princess Beatrice slumped into her throne and held her head in her hands. The witch turned her shriveled face back to the cadets with a dry cackle, then shuffled through the archway with Liverwort, leaving a stunned silence in her wake. Finally, Beatrice looked up, her face pale, as though she had just seen her own ghost.
    â€œWell . . . isn’t this exciting news, indeed.”
    The staff quickly cleared the hall and escorted the girls back to their barracks, where the night’s tensions evaporated into the stars. Evie seemed to be the only one still troubled by the events of the Royal Hall. Enthusiasm rippled down the rows of bunks, topics shifting like birds in flight. The freedom! The grounds! The prophecy! The knights!
    Evie remained on her bunk, legs crossed, biting her fingernails. Most of the girls were energized by the witch’s proclamation, the potential of one day being the Warrior Princess as fresh and untainted in each of them as new snow. But she had found the whole evening quite traumatic. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since leaving Pennyroyal Castle, trailing behind the others until finally they left her alone. And once they were inside, she went straight to her bunk.
    â€œOi! What’s all this moping?” said Anisette with a wink. “We ain’t even started the hard stuff yet!”
    Evie responded with the weakest of smiles, and Anisette moved off to join some other girls in song. Finally, Princess Hazelbranch entered and raised her hands to appeal for quiet.
    â€œI understand the first day at the Academy can be quite thrilling, girls, but the time has come for lights-out.”
    A great communal groan went up, but the cadets started heading back to their bunks just the same. Still, nothing could squelch the excitement in the air.
    â€œWhy don’t I just . . . leave you to it,” said Basil, standing near the door looking uncomfortable. Hazelbranch had arranged a cot for him in a storehouse behind the barracks.
    â€œIf you please, Cadet Basil, there is one final order of company business. And you are very much a member of this company.”
    â€œThe prettiest!” shouted Anisette, to a flurry of laughter. Basil could only shake his head ruefully, though he couldn’t hide a smile.
    â€œNow, before you can rightfully be considered . . .” Hazelbranch trailed off. Three girls from the far corner of the barracks, nearest the latrine, stepped away from their bunks as one. They huddled together, walking across the bearskins, their faces drawn and serious. “Is everything quite all right?”
    â€œWe’re sorry, Princess, but we . . . we want to go home.” One of the girls began to weep, burying her head in her friend’s shoulder.
    â€œGirls?”
    â€œWe don’t want to be here anymore. This isn’t what we thought it would be.”
    And suddenly the joyous atmosphere was punctured like a bubble in a bog. One cadet shouted for them to reconsider, but they had made their decision.
    â€œCome, girls, come,” said Hazelbranch, beckoning them forward. “The three of you wait outside and I’ll see you to the castle.”
    The girls shuffled past Basil, who stared at the floor with folded arms. Hazelbranch took a step