“The skink was bad, but things got a lot worse after I had the magical geas lifted off me and it revealed my true form and the fact that I’m a Fae,” I went on with my story. I could see Morganna glaring at me, but she didn’t dare to say anything yet because Headmistress Nightworthy hadn’t called on her to speak. “After that, Morganna just wouldn’t leave me alone. It was like she had a vendetta against me.
“I see. And what did she do?” the Headmistress asked.
“First she put a doubling spell on me,” I said and explained about how every time the threat doubled, the danger did too. “It started with a fly in my bowl of oatmeal and ended with sixteen black widow and brown recluse spiders in my bed in the middle of the night,” I went on. “One of them bit me. After that, I went to Morganna and told her to leave me alone, but she refused and sent a whole infestation of mice to the Norm Dorm—I mean, the basement dormitory,” I went on.
I told about sending the cats after Morganna, in retaliation, and then her sending the pack of dogs after me and Megan.
“And then, this morning, she pulled that prank with the dog crap and I just lost my temper,” I said honestly. “I did mean to throw it in her face—which I know is wrong. But I didn’t mean to make her go bald. And that’s all I have to say.”
I shut up then, because what else could I do?
“All right, Miss Starchild.” Headmistress Nightworthy turned to Morganna. “What do you have to say for yourself? Is everything as Miss Plunkett says?”
I saw Morganna’s mouth working, as though she desperately wanted to call me a liar. But Ms. Yasmeen’s truth spell was still on her, so she couldn’t do it.
“Yes,” she said and added quickly, “But that nasty little wanna-be Fae deserved everything I did to her!”
“Is that right?” Headmistress Nightworthy arched one silvery eyebrow at her. “And why is that?”
“Because she’s prettier than me now!” Morganna’s mouth twisted, as though she hated the words she was saying but couldn’t help herself. “And all the boys who ought to pay attention to me, have been paying attention to her instead!”
I was willing to bet she’d get plenty of attention now that she was bald, but I was smart enough not to say so.
“Also,” Morganna went on, “She’s a slut! She let two different boys Mark her and she Marked them, too! She’s nothing but a whore!”
“That will be enough of that kind of language, Miss Starchild,” Headmistress Nightworthy rapped out, glaring at her. She turned to me. “Miss Plunkett, now that I look closely at you, I see that you have exchanged Markings with two different males.”
“I had to!” I protested quickly. “I took Bran and Lachlan’s Marks in order to keep the boys from bothering me after I came out as a Fae. And I Marked them as well, so they could help heal me and diffuse the poison from the black widow bite from the spiders Morganna sent into my bed!”
“Well…” Headmistress Nightworthy frowned at me as though she didn’t know whether to believe me or not. But then she apparently remembered that I was still under the truth spell, so she nodded. “All right, I believe that you believed the Markings were necessary, though we do not encourage such things at Nocturne Academy.” She shook her head. “I’m afraid you’ve set yourself up for a difficult decision in the future. You can’t bond with two males at once, you know.”
“I know,” I said, looking down at my feet. I really didn’t want to think about how someday I’d have to choose between Bran and Lachlan. It was like choosing which hand I wanted to cut off—I just didn’t see how I could do it.
“Getting Marked by two boys isn’t the only thing she’s done!” Morganna exclaimed. “Why don’t you ask her about what she did to her mother’s landlord?”
“Ah yes, you did mention something about that.” The Headmistress frowned at me. “What exactly did you do, Miss Plunkett? I believe that Miss Starchild said you caused his nose and his, er, penis to switch places?”
I felt my stomach drop to my shoes all over again. I still didn’t know how Morganna had found out about what I had accidentally done to Mr. Groperson. Probably she’d been spying on me in some way. But now the fact that I had been doing magic outside of school grounds was going to come out and I knew that was an expulsion offense.
“Yes, I did,” I said, lifting my chin. “I didn’t mean to, though. He dragged me into his apartment and he was…was trying to attack me and I got freaked out and lost control of my magic.” I swallowed hard. “I didn’t do it on purpose and I’m really sorry. But Megan’s Aunt Deli says that Mr. Groperson has bothered other women in the past,” I added defiantly. “So maybe he got what he deserved.”
“That’s not for you to say, Miss Plunkett,” Headmistress Nightworthy said sternly. “And it is not for us to punish with the magic the Goddess has given us—those of us she has given it to. However,” she went on, when I opened my mouth to defend myself. “I believe you when you say you didn’t do what you did on purpose and I can certainly understand how an attempted attack would make you lose control of your magic. So for this once, we will overlook that particular offense.” She looked at me seriously. “It was only an attempted attack? This Groperson didn’t actually succeed in hurting you?”
“No, he didn’t,” I said quickly. “I, uh, switched his parts before he could do anything.”
“It’s a good thing you did, or I might have to pay him a visit myself.”
The Headmistress bared teeth that were very long and sharp looking and I remembered all over again that she was a Nocturne and a formidable predator. I shivered—I was glad that look wasn’t directed at me!
“All right, I think I’ve heard enough,” she said, clasping her hands together. She fixed Morganna and me with a stern frown. “This private little war you two girls have been conducting stops now. No more magic on either side, or teasing, or pranks, or anything at all. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Headmistress,” I said quickly. That was all I had wanted in the first place—just an end to the endless bullying and general nastiness coming from Morganna.
“Well?” Headmistress Nightworthy lifted an eyebrow at Morganna. “Miss Starchild? Do you promise to end this conflict here and now and leave Miss Plunkett alone?”
Morganna glared at me.
“I don’t see why I should! She’s a nasty little wanna-be and look what she did to my hair!”
She pointed at her bald head again.
“Ah, yes—the hair.” The Headmistress nodded at me. “Miss Plunkett, have the goodness to use your magic to restore Miss Starchild’s hair.”
“I…don’t know if I can,” I said hesitantly. I was thinking of how I’d tried to switch Mr. Groperson’s parts back and had only succeeded in making matters worse.
“What? But you’re the one who did it! That means you’re the only one who can undo it!” Morganna shrieked at me. “Give me back my hair right now you little bitch!”
“Miss Starchild—language!” Headmistress Nightworthy snapped. She turned to me. “Try, Miss Plunkett.”