Free Of Witches and Wind by Shelby Bach Page A

scales could stink like a hot bowl of sulfur.
    Chase sounded impressed. “You’re not supposed to be able to do that, you know.”
    Melodie nodded. “The campus is designed to reject foreign and/or unapproved magics. I’ve seen it before. We had to take extra precautions.”
    â€œInstead of introducing something foreign, we took some dirt that was already here. Right there, to be exact.” Lena pointed to the spot below the flaming rectangle. “And then I just substituted it for the pillar in the regular old portal spell. So that’s all you need: some dirt, a doorway, and about twenty dragon scales.”
    I squinted into the dark inside it and spotted old mops and brooms. Probably a janitor’s closet in her school.
    â€œWait, let me get this straight,” Chase said. “Nobody knows that you did this?”
    â€œWell, you two. And George and Jenny. They would worry otherwise.”
    â€œBut none of the grown-ups? Not the Director?”
    â€œNo, I didn’t want to bother them. I wasn’t sure it would work,” Lena said uncertainly. “Why?”
    â€œWe need to go tell them,” Chase said, “unless you want all the instructors running around going, ‘Security breach! Security breach!’ ”
    Lena laughed, but then the amethyst door to the Director’s office banged open. Lena and I both jumped.
    Grown-ups filed out—Hansel and Gretel first, wearing identical tunics of golden chain mail, swords raised. Then came Stu, the Shoemaker, sunlight glinting off his silver breastplate, spear at the ready.
    Another door opened on the other side of the courtyard, and iron figures marched out—evil fairies, giant wolves, ugly trolls, and wizened witches. The enchanted dummies we practiced on in the training courts apparently doubled as EAS’s army.
    An army that was surrounding us.
    Mildred Grubb, the Director of EAS, walked out last, her shield engraved with roses. Her long blond hair hung in shining wavesdown her back, and her blue dress sparkled with silver embroidery. She spotted us.
    â€œDo I even need to say I told you so?” Chase muttered.
    All four marched our way, a scowl on every face. We were definitely in trouble.

ou three don’t understand the seriousness of the situation,” said the Director.
    Maybe we didn’t understand the situation, but we could all tell it was serious. Lena’s eyes were huge, her shoulders hunched up around her ears.
    â€œSecurity sweep, please.” The Director gestured to the other grown-up Characters. Behind her shield she was wearing dainty fingerless lace gloves. Gretel, Hansel, and Stu each disappeared behind a separate door. Dozens of metal dummies split up and clanked after them.
    â€œUm,” I said. “Isn’t that overkill? You caught Lena already.”
    For some reason the Director whirled around to glare at Lena instead of me. “Did you bind the portal to your essence so that none but you could pass? Use your signature, or your blood, or all ten fingerprints?”
    Lena shook her head.
    â€œDid you at least stand here and guard to make sure no one else entered after you?” the Director asked.
    Lena glanced at me, stricken. She clearly regretted coming to find us.
    â€œI thought not. Our Door Trek system is spelled to allowonly approved persons through approved gateways at approved times.” The Director obviously liked to have approval over things. “Whether or not you children are aware of the fact, we do this for your safety. We are the second largest chapter of Ever After School in the world, with the highest success rate for completed Tales,” the Director continued. “It stands to reason that we would be targeted by the largest number of villains.”
    Lena stared at her feet, her head bent so low that all her braids slung forward, the beads at their ends clacking together. I knew how much she hated being in