Wanted by Betsy Schow

Author:Betsy Schow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2017-01-10T05:00:00+00:00

“Rule #19: Be kind to all. When throwing a ball or event, it’s imperative to be inclusive. One lost invitation to an evil fairy has been known to ruin a whole party.”

—Definitive Fairy-Tale Survival Guide, Volume 2: Villains

20

It’s Only a Model

I complied with the orderlies’ request because I really did not want to go into the double-digit death count, but also because I was pixing confused. Going to see Hydra should have been positive, but both Kato and Mordred looked as if they were marching toward the hangman’s noose. The orderlies led us over the hill toward a huge stone castle. A sign stood out front. It did not say Camelot.

Academy of Villains: Legends Campus

“Change of management, indeed,” I said, swearing under my breath.

I expected that we’d go into the castle, but we were prodded past the entrance to a much smaller version of Camelot. Chintzy construction. More like a shack covered with an elaborate facade to mimic a castle.

Well, that solved the mystery of what happened to Hydra’s chicken house. Gwennie apparently lived in a model castle.

An orderly knocked on the door, then turned tail and ran, taking the rest of the white knights with him. Mordred shifted from foot to foot, probably wondering if he could follow suit. A panel in the door slid open, showing a wide-faced old man with an epic amount of facial hair. The long, white beard curled in tendrils, like he had a hairy octopus stuck to his chin rather than a beard.

“Please tell me that’s not Hydra,” I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for Kato to hear me.

“Merlin,” he answered. “And don’t speak unless you absolutely have to, since you sound like a girl.”

“And why shouldn’t I? Isn’t Merlin the guy who sent the fair-e-mrph—” Kato put me in a headlock, a hand over my mouth, cutting me off.

“The great and magnificent Merlin has far better things to do than deal with…” The man squinted through his inch-thick glasses. “You boys again. And—ack. You’re multiplying.”

“Why did the alarm go off? Did any girls breach the defenses? Drown them. Throw them in the lake. Just keep the hussies away from me!” a shrill voice called from inside.

“Just the usual troublemakers. I’ll handle it,” boomed Merlin.

“What’s taking so long?” she yelled. “Is Sparkles all right?”

I pried Kato’s hand off me and snorted. “Sparkles?”

Mortimer, the emerald dragon, ignored me and put his claw to his head. “I’ll find a way to soldier on somehow, though I’ve been gravely wounded,” he yelled loudly so the woman inside could hear him.

Merlin added another circle of glass to his spectacles, presumably upping the magnification. While he gave me a once-over, he chewed on his lip, which made his octopus-beard look like it was doing a jig. “Get out of my sight while you can.” When I didn’t move fast enough, he opened the door a crack and tried pushing me away. From inside the mini-castle, a chorus of yowls answered him and “Sparkles” slipped by Merlin and dashed inside.

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