Up until then, I’d been feeling surprisingly calm about the whole situation. I wasn’t even afraid, though they had surrounded me. But though I had been feeling better about myself, I still wasn’t ready to show the scarred side of my face to anyone and everyone who looked at me. Losing my long black hair would be like losing my armor—my last line of defense.
I wasn’t ready for that—not yet and maybe not ever.
“No!” I screamed as the sheers began to cut and the first few strands of my long black hair fell. Throwing myself back against the wall behind me, I kicked out with one foot, catching Nancy in the midsection and sending her backwards with a surprised grunt.
“Oof!” She landed on her back and the heavy pair of silver shears fell from her hand.
The two girls on either side of me let go of my arms and ran to her.
“Oh Nancy—that bitch! Are you okay?” one of them panted.
“I can’t believe that little freak kicked you!” the other exclaimed, as though I was the horrible person in this scenario for defending myself.
Nancy’s face was twisted into a sneer of pure rage as she sprawled on her back like a bug in the middle of the hallway.
“Why did you let go of her?” she demanded, glaring at the other two. “Don’t let her get away—I’m not done with her haircut yet!”
I didn’t wait to hear any more. From the moment I kicked her, I had been frozen to the spot. But now my paralysis seemed to break and I ran as fast as I could for the West Tower.
If I can just get there, I thought wildly to myself. If I can just get to the Drake’s Den, I’ll be safe—I know I will!
Because only Ari and I could enter it, I knew I was right. But I had to get there before Nancy and the Weird Sisters could catch me.
I ran flat out, my breath tearing in my lungs as my feet slapped the flat flagstones of the floor. I rounded the corner and saw the Curve of the West Tower up ahead. And just to one side of it was the secret corridor that only appeared when I was looking for it—the short, hidden hallway that led to the Drake’s Den.
“Get her!” Nancy was screeching behind me and I knew they were right on my heels, but I didn’t dare to look back. I felt a hand snag in my hair and pull a few strands loose but the sharp little pain only made me run faster. The hallway—if only I could reach the hallway!
I nearly skidded right past it in the slippery-soled Mary Jane shoes that were the standard uniform-issue for girls at Nocturne Academy. At the last minute though, I managed to grab the corner of the wall and slide myself into the narrow, secret corridor.
“Where did she go?” I heard someone say.
Looking to my left, as I stood there panting, I saw Nancy and her two cohorts looking around the main hallway in bewildered confusion. In fact, they looked right at me but didn’t seem to see me at all.
I frowned, trying to get my breath back. What was going on? Were Nancy and her crew unable to see me because of the magic of the castle which concealed the Drake’s Den from anyone unauthorized to enter it?
It seemed the likeliest explanation. I could still see the three of them, looking all around. They were probably seeing just the blank stone hallways, unaware that just feet from their faces was a secret corridor where I was hiding.
They searched for a while as I watched, fascinated, and then Nancy finally shrugged.
“Well, who knows what mouse hole the little freak ran into? It doesn’t matter anyway—we have what we need. Come on.”
She beckoned with the big silver shears and the other two girls followed her without question, leaving my line of sight as their footsteps echoed down the hallway.
I stared after her for a moment, confused and angry and filled with misgivings. What had she meant “we have what we need?” What had they needed from me?
I had no answers but it was almost time for my nightly feeding session with Ari. He might even be already waiting for me in the Den, as he often was. If so, I hoped he hadn’t heard what had just happened with Nancy. I didn’t know if I wanted to tell him the things that she’d said or not —I wasn’t sure how he would react.
Taking a deep breath, I spoke the Drake word to reveal the thick wooden door and then let myself into the Den.
50
Kaitlyn
Ari wasn’t there yet, much to my relief—I needed more time to calm my nerves before I saw the big Drake. But once again, the Den had anticipated my needs and I found something new—a small mirror hanging on one wall.