Page 24 of The Tribes of Magic (Paragons #3)

REWARD & PUNISHMENT

T he General was back at the Castle. Shortly after his arrival, two Watchers marched into a grand dining hall full of Apprentices and Knights, and escorted Rhett up the stairs of the Twisted Tower to the General’s office.

He returned to the hall half an hour later, a gleeful bounce in his step, grinning like it was his birthday.

The General hadn’t punished Rhett for his transgression. Oh, no. He’d rewarded him for his ‘ingenuity and cunning’.

That reward was in the form of an obscene number of points. And now Rhett Wilson’s name was sitting high and mighty at the very top of the Scoreboard.

At least the General had reinstated Bronte too, but that kind of felt like an afterthought.

“Thanks for the boost, Winters!” Rhett called out to me from his table of laughing cronies.

I shot him a solid glower, then turned away so I didn’t have to see his gleeful face. Life was so unfair.

I’d set off this afternoon with a plan. I was going to prove the video was fake, clear Bronte’s name, expose the culprit, and see the culprit punished.

And now here I was, six hours later. I’d accomplished only two of things—but I’d inadvertently helped the villain in the story, so there was that blissful splash of sunshine.

Meanwhile, I was seriously questioning the sanity of the universe.

I was also eating my weight in ice cream, but that was a problem for another day.

An unabating torrent of celebratory songs was coming from Rhett’s table. I found myself with a sudden yearning for earplugs. But I didn’t have any earplugs on me, so I pressed my hands against my ears, bent my head over my book, and tried to pretend the world was fair.

I’d been reading for only a few minutes when someone sat down beside me. I felt the wooden bench shift under their weight, but I didn’t look up. A hand tapped my arm. Sighing, I finally glanced up. It was Bronte. I lifted my hands from my ears.

“I’m sorry to disturb your reading, Savannah.”

Bronte’s gaze flickered to my book. It was the Paragons’ spellbook. Ok, yes, I’ll admit it. I was searching the book for a way to turn Rhett’s skin green or make his toenails grow so abnormally fast that he couldn’t wear shoes. He totally deserved both.

“Why are you reading a blank book, Savannah?” Bronte blinked in confusion.

I hastily shut the spellbook. I felt more than a little guilty for trying to curse another Apprentice, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t keep looking later. When I was alone.

“What can I do for you, Bronte?”

“What can you do for me?” Her lips were quivering, and her eyes were watery. “You’ve already done so much for me, Savannah. I just wanted to come over and thank you. People told me what you did today.”

“If only I could have done more.”

“More? You did everything! You proved my innocence!”

“But Rhett?—”

“Don’t you fret about Rhett Wilson. Everything will work out in the end. All will be sorted, Rhett included.”

Bronte wrapped her arms around to give me a big hug, then got up.

She only made it a few steps before she was surrounded by stargazers and well-wishers.

Of course none of them had ever believed for even the smallest second that Bronte was guilty.

I wondered if Bronte believed them. Or if they even believed themselves.

I opened the Paragons’ spellbook once again, searching for…I don’t know what. Answers, I guess. Some tiny nugget of wisdom that would explain what had happened today.

Growling, I slammed the book shut in frustration. It might as well be blank right now, for all the good it was doing me.

I needed air. I needed to clear my head. I stuffed the spellbook into my bag and got up. The Apprentices’ eyes tracked me as I walked across the dining hall. Eager whispers flared up all around me. I felt like I was trapped inside a spotlight.

“She found the fake video of Bronte.”

“Rhett posted that video.”

“She thought she could go up against Rhett and win.”

“No one messes with Team Victory. No one.”

“Even the General is afraid of them.”

“He is not!”

“Then why did he reward Rhett for breaking the rules? The General never rewards anyone for breaking the rules.”

“He had no choice. I heard someone is protecting all the kids from Victory. Someone in the Government.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Can’t be.”

“Must be.”

I walked faster and faster…until I was almost running.

I cut toward the closest door and rushed outside, bursting onto the Hex.

I ran across the soft, velvety grass and through the arch.

Running, running, running until I reached the edge of the Castle grounds.

I fumbled with the handle at the gate and then I was out.

Someone was waiting for me there. “Savannah Winters.”

The woman drew back her veil, revealing her face.

“I know you,” I told her. “We’ve met before.”

“Yes.”

“It was yesterday. At the conference center. You’re the old woman I met in the kitchen.” I winced as soon as I said it. What a rude thing to say. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“It’s quite all right, dear. I am old.”

The woman’s mouth spread into a genuine, grandmotherly smile—white hair, wrinkles, and all. She really did look exactly how I’d always pictured Mrs. Claus would look.

“I’m so sorry. I’m just tired and wasn’t thinking straight. I’ve had a rough day. I know, it’s no excuse. Do you want me to escort you home?”

“There’s no need. I know the way home, but you do not.”

“I know that. I was just trying to be nice and…”

“Chivalrous?” Her eyes twinkled at me.

“Yes, chivalrous. Because I’m training to be a Knight.” I sighed. “I guess I still have a long way to go.”

Her smile didn’t falter. “You’re doing better than you think, Savannah. You will make an excellent Knight.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, but I’m afraid the only thing I’m excelling at right now is putting my foot in my mouth. I probably should stop talking now.”

“Don’t worry, dear. You don’t need to talk if you don’t want to. Though I would appreciate it if you would listen.”

“Listen? To what?”

“To my plea. Savannah Winters, please help me. My grandson has gone missing, and I need your help to find him.”