Free Of Witches and Wind by Shelby Bach Page B

trouble.
    â€œAnyone could have entered through your portal and wreaked havoc upon the Characters who seek refuge here,” the Director went on. “The Big Bad Wolf, the trolls who cut off Evan Garrison’s fingers, General Searcaster—”
    â€œPersonally, I don’t think General Searcaster could fit,” I said before I could stop myself, and Chase snickered. Lena peeked at me through her hair.
    â€œAurora,” the Director said in a warning way, but she really couldn’t expect Chase and me to stand there and not say anything.
    â€œI’m just saying—she’s like four stories tall.” I didn’t usually try to push the Director’s buttons, but this lecture was going too far.
    â€œAnd she’s not skinny, either.” Half Fey or not, Chase caught on and backed me up. We were still a team.
    â€œEnough!” the Director snapped. “Not another word from you, Aurora. I know you put Lena up to this.”
    Put Lena up to what? Inventing? No way. Everybody knew that Lena obsessed over her inventions even more than the rest of us obsessed over our Tales.
    Chase and Lena looked just as confused as I was.
    â€œWhat? It was me and Lena! We worked it out!” Melodie hatedit when other people took credit for her work.
    â€œGot one, Director!” another voice rang out. Stu, the Shoemaker in charge of all the elves in the workshop, emerged from the steel double doors, escorting a girl in a plaid uniform. Mia.
    I remembered her head on that table and shivered.
    â€œFound her in the back of the workshop,” Stu told the Director, and Lena glanced up, frowning.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Mia said in her too-soft voice. “I just got lost. I was looking for the room where I could read the Tales. I wanted to prepare myself.”
    A pair of heavy wooden doors swung open across the courtyard, and Bryan and Darcy trotted outside, both of them glaring at Hansel, whose double-handed broadsword was sheathed at his back. Their scowls looked surprisingly similar, considering one of their faces was furry and deer-shaped. “What’s your problem?” the fawn demanded, as the sword master escorted them across the grass.
    â€œEllie told me the reference room got some more books on animal enchantments. I was checking to see if they could tell me how to break Bryan’s,” said Darcy. “Is that such a crime?”
    â€œI told you,” Hansel said. “It’s just EAS protocol—for your own security.”
    Gretel stepped through the amethyst door. “All clear.”
    One by one, the iron dummies all marched into the courtyard and back toward the training courts. Mia’s eyes widened, but I couldn’t tell if she was impressed or freaked out.
    â€œSo, no bad guy,” Chase said. “That means we’re free to go, right?”
    â€œAbsolutely not.” The Director narrowed her eyes at me, Chase, and Lena. “I believe we’ll break up your little triumvirate for the afternoon.”
    Mia’s eyebrows lifted. The corners of her mouth went up too. If she thought us getting punished was funny, her getting beheaded seemed slightly less tragic.
    â€œWhat’s a triumvirate?” Chase whispered to me.
    Remembering the dream about Mia made me queasy. “Three of something, I think?” I said, distracted.
    The Director surveyed us. “Lena, you’ll go with Ellie to the workshop and gather all the notes and materials that led up to the invention of the spell. If I hear of you attempting such a portal again, you will appear before the Canon, and we will seriously consider your expulsion. Have I made myself clear?”
    Lena stared, wide-eyed, caught between relief and guilt. She had a photographic memory. She didn’t need her notes to recreate the spell. The part of Lena that compulsively followed rules wanted to tell the Director this, but she didn’t. “Yes, ma’am.”
    She