face. His features smoothed out into an unreadable mask. He lengthened his stride, his polish

academy, her small fist gripping the velvet bag of

olds. The moment Finley stepped onto the alphabet rug, the noise dipped. Three children who had been playin

rcular table, and placed the bag down with a heavy thud. She remembered

lates. The gold foil caught the harsh fluorescent light,

ght'?" Finley shouted, her voice

earshot gasped. Hands shot into the air. "Me! I wan

y at the boy with the messy brown hair. "You. You are the Knight. Go to the corner and b

queaking violently against the floor, and sprinted towa

heavy blocks. She swallowed hard, her throat dry. The humiliation of yesterday fou

rate attempt to maintain her dignity. "I want to

diately. Instead, she turned her head

. He gave a single, microscopic nod. His eyes

cond chocolate. "You are the Witch. Your job is t

arpet and immediately began digging through the pile of wood

politics. Under the silent, invisible direction of Hartley's occasional nod

enter of the room. And Finley was sitting on a chair placed d

rely outside the castle walls. He looked like a bored observer, completely disconnected from the game. But his right index fi

lapped her hands. "Alright,

ing match by the door. Today, the class

eld up a single chocolate. "Whoever stands th

ies rigid. They locked their arms to their si

rubbed her eyes, staring at the line of silent, unblinking c

ed her class to the center of the yard. She held a red plastic flag she had taken

over, a mean scowl on his face. He didn't ask to play. He lunged forward, his thick

d, her finge

out for help, a blur of

multaneously. They pushed him hard. He stumbled backward, his heavy

d with fury. The rest of the Bear Class swarmed forward,

ey sat on a cold stone bench. He watched the older boy star

ead through his chest. He had successfully helped turn an entire classroom i

oman with glasses, marched over to Ms. Caldwell. "Your kids are

th Finley standing in the center. She didn't understand how this had happene

move, a shadow fell

the children. He looked up at Ms. Caldwell, his g

ulated. "The bell is about to ring. Finley needs to go wash her hands for

e tension drained out of her shoulders. She sighed, rubbin

rough the wall of her 'knights' and placed her small hand into his. He gripped it tight, le