"IS IT ASKING too much that you don't leave your books lying on the bedroom floor? I almost fell this morning," Beatrix asked, angrily plucking them out of her backpack and placing them on the table.

"As difficult as moving a mountain with your arms," Viperine retorted, her eyes rolling. "Do you ever stop complaining?"

But the two fell silent with Dowling's gaze on them. They were in a class taught inside a normal classroom, testing their fairy powers in small activities that were almost ridiculous.

Beatrix and Viperine were bored—as usual, but at least the electricity fairy pretended to be interested in Dowling's story. Viperine, on the other hand, lay on top of the pile of books that Beatrix managed to find in the middle of the room's clutter.

Ridiculous as it was, many faeries still had difficulty controlling their own power. As was the case with Terra, who had caused flowers to sow, but she couldn't stop before the petals fell.

Bloom, the shifting fairy from Alfea, had surprisingly managed to set a single piece of wood on fire and leave the others intact. Beginner's luck, thought Viperine.

Aisha's jealousy did not go unnoticed. That girl could annoy anyone with a little sense. Why did she have to try to prove herself the best at everything? Extra credit?

"Control, I get it," Aisha said, under Dowling's gaze. "I mean, I can do it."

But the single drop of water Dowling asked for never came. It was just a very big drop that fell into the water bowl, wetting her and Bloom. Viperine almost felt vindicated.

"Something yet to be learned," said Dowling dryly.

Soon, the headmistress of Alfea turned to Beatrix. The fairy was able to perfectly lift isolated grains of rice in the air with static electricity. Dowling said:

"Impressive, Beatrix. Keep it up."

"Got it, Miss D," she hissed, making the headmistress look at her questioningly. "Principal Dowling."

Viperine saw the words Beatrix would have hissed wryly: Her grace. She chuckled inwardly, then saw that Dowling was looking at her. There was nothing on Viperine's table but the books. Then she said:

"Giving life is easy, but what about taking it away?" She asked. "Can you scale it up and down, Viperine?"

From above his desk, Dowling placed a vase of flowers in front of Viperine. A stem of some weird orchid species in the middle, with weeds surrounding it. Viperine wasn't the best at understanding flowers and plants, but she knew just how easy it was to kill one.

"Caleana Major," Dowling said. "It is one of the most difficult flowers to grow."

"Wait a minute," Terra asked, confused. "If it's so hard to cultivate, why do you want Viperine to kill it?"

"It needs a warm, humid environment," Dowling said, turning to Viperine. "Can you create a cage out of the weeds?"

Viperine shook her head. The supposed earth fairy snapped her neck, reaching her hands over the flower vase. She took a deep breath, channeling the ancient and ancient power that had surrounded her stony heart since she was born.

The weeds withered to unbreakable stone. Then, they began to grow, increasing their branches as they curled up in a kind of cage that looked more like a rosebud that had not yet opened. Dowling wanted a cage, so she had one.

If nothing went in and nothing came out, it would keep the heat and humidity inside. It wouldn't even need to be watered.

Was this what Dowling wanted to see? Do you support the capacity for envious self-control? Ah, Viperine was almost bubbling with rage, knowing she was capable of so much more... But Terra's closed expression was enough to brighten Viperine's gloomy day.

"Deadland Fairy, Little Terra," she hissed, as if teasing her. "Already forgotten?"

"An impressive skill, I must say," said Dowling. "Somewhat questionable."

Viperine and Beatriz narrowed their eyes, wondering what the director of Alfea meant by that.

"That's all for today."

◈

IT WAS NOT A GOOD DAY FOR SKY. After all, he was losing to Riven in swordplay.

He was distracted, every moment looking at Silva in the distance. Worried, definitely. He was concerned about the bush because the creature that attacked Silva was still on the loose.

Riven took advantage of Sky's distraction, making an attack from the right that knocked Sky to the mat.

"Very well, Riven," Silva said, congratulating him and heading to the other side of the practice area, where Verena watched the fledglings.

It hurt Sky's heart to see that she looked extremely tired and worn out, but she did it all to make sure Silva was okay—to buy them time.

Riven reached for Sky, pulling him up. Riven couldn't tell if Stella, Sky's ex or current girlfriend, was present. Maybe that was the other reason he was distracted.

"Doesn't he look worse to you?" Sky asked, seeing his father figure waddle with some sort of stick.

"Riven gets a compliment and suddenly Silva has brain damage," he scoffed, almost insulted. "Is Harvey not growing Zambak?"

"Yes, but Verena had to bring fairies from Solaria to fix the greenhouse," he replied. "After all, do you know if they've caught the culprit?"

Riven shrugged off.

"How can anyone be blamed if they don't even know exactly what happened there?" He asked. "I heard people talking around me. That freshman fairy, Terra, said it was after Viperine left. Nonsense, of course. No fledgling could do something like that."

"Viperine Gorgon?" exclaimed Sky, quickly excited. Her attitude disturbed something in Riven. "That Viperine?"

"Must be, I don't know her last name," Riven said. "It's not like there are many Viperine's around here either. The name is bizarre.

Oh, my heavens! Sky gulped, unresponsive. He hoped Riven hadn't noticed something was wrong with him, but it was obvious. Sky knew there was a Viperine in Aflea, he'd heard the name before, but had never made the connection that she might be talking about the Viperine Gorgon herself.

It shouldn't be possible! He himself was finding it hard to believe, and if it was true...

"I need to go," she warned her, pulling away from Riven.

"Training isn't over yet!" cried Riven, but it was too late.

◈

VIPERINE WAS GOING DOWN THE stairs rather quickly. Her stomach rumbled, starving after the day's sleepy classes.

What had happened in Dowling's class was still running through his mind. If Dowling knew the truth about her, they'd be in big trouble—especially if Verena found out that Viperine might have accidentally reported it.

"You should be more careful. Dowling isn't the only one starting to suspect you," he said, suddenly appearing beside her. "Deadland Fairy isn't something that really exists."

"Relax, Cally, baby," Viperine murmured confidently. "Everyone here is too stupid to notice anything. They will never suspect a teenager, especially a freshman."

"You really don't know how things work around here," she hissed, crossing her arms.

"And you know it, don't you?" She teased. "You were sent earlier for reconnaissance, that's all. Now, let us do the real work."

"You're just a spoiled brat who kills plants," Callum muttered, evidently jealous. "Do you really think you can do it?"

"Look at that," she ordered, startling him by screaming and drawing attention from everyone in the cafeteria. "Get away from me, you giant pedophile!"

If that got to Dowling's ears, Callum was screwed.

Viperine was greeted by Riven's arms around her neck as she bit into the mace he held. Viperine smiled victoriously as she saw Terra and her fairy friends staring at her. When she saw that Viperine had caught her in the act, she shifted her focus uncomfortably.

Riven took her away, the two of them walking into the empty hallways where hardly any students used to go during those hours. A nice hiding place for two teenagers with hormones running high.

"What was that?" Riven asked, laughing. "Wasn't breaking into the principal's office enough for you? Do you also want to condemn her assistant?"

"Oh, that wasn't anything Callum isn't used to," she said, shrugging as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "But between the two of us, he really does look like a giant pedophile."

"That could be his idiotic face," he suggested. "Did you know Callum from somewhere before?"

"Not that I recall." Lie. "I hope, at least. But I've heard a few things about him, so it's easy to have something to talk about."

Riven nodded, weighing her next words as she asked about Sky's uneasiness this morning at hearing her name.

"Speaking of strangers, any chance you know who Sky is around here?"

"Sky?" she repeated, trying to keep calm.

"His father was Andreas of Eraklyon."

"No. I don't know him," she replied. Lie. "I heard about the specialists' party. East Wing, right? I'll see you there."

Before Riven could stop it, Viperine was hurriedly walking the way they came.

Sky acted strange when she heard Viperine's name. Viperine acted strangely when she heard about Sky—what the hell was going on?

━━━━━━
9.17.22

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