“For what are we waiting?” Genevieve pushed the last of her cream puff into her mouth, dusted sugar from her fingers, and chewed. “Tell us what we are to do.”
“Wait,” Theresa snapped. “There are hundreds of spells in here that we could try. I don’t see why Eliza has the last word.”
Eliza’s cheeks burned indignantly. “Fine. Then let’s take a vote.”
Theresa opened her mouth as if to retort, but Clarissa interrupted her. “All in favor of Eliza’s spell, say ‘aye,’” she said, flipping one of her braids over her shoulder.
“Aye!” the shouts filled the room. Only Theresa abstained, although Jane’s “aye” was slightly less adamant than the others, and she made sure not to look at Theresa as she cast her vote.
“Spell of Silence it is!” Eliza said triumphantly. She retook her spot at the center of the podium, bumping Theresa out of the way. “Everyone kindly form the circle.”
Theresa’s lips were set in a thin, angry line as she took her spot between Eliza and Jane. It was all Eliza could do to keep from sticking her tongue out at the girl. But she had gotten what she deserved for trying to take over so rudely, and after being more than fifteen minutes late, no less.
“Please take one another’s hands,” Eliza instructed. She reached for Theresa’s and Catherine’s hands. Theresa did not clasp her fingers in return, but left them flat. Alice swung Catherine’s and Clarissa’s hands in anticipation, swiveling her hips as well so that her voluminous skirts swished back and forth.
“I’ll recite the spell once,” Eliza said, “then we’ll all recite it together: ‘Wherever we go, wherever we might, let us walk in silence as the night,’” she intoned.
“That’s it?” Clarissa blurted.
“Sometimes the simplest spells are the most powerful,” Catherine informed her.
“At least it’s easy to remember,” Jane said.
“Shall we get this over with?” Theresa snipped.
The girls nodded and spoke as one. “Wherever we go, wherever we might, let us walk in silence as the night.”
The strange wind picked up again, and Eliza’s grip on her friends’ hands tightened. Even Theresa’s fingers now curled around hers. The wind sent chills all up and down Eliza’s arms. For a moment she thought of Catherine’s warning about upsetting the natural balance of the world. But when she glanced over at her friend, Catherine seemed perfectly at ease.
Eliza breathed out and told herself it would be all right. If Catherine—the one among them who knew more of magic than the rest—was unconcerned, so should she be. A minute later, the wind stopped. This time, the candles held strong and the light prevailed, but Eliza herself wobbled on her feet. Her vision prickled over, but the sensation quickly passed. Jane staggered forward slightly, but after a few breaths, seemed fine. As Eliza looked around, she could tell that each of the girls had felt the momentary dizziness. Was it a side effect of the spell?
Another thump of apprehension vibrated through Eliza’s chest, but she forced herself not to consider it. They were fine. Everyone was fine.
“Well? What do we do now?” Alice asked finally.
Eliza smiled, deciding to put her concerns aside and embrace the fun. “Let’s go see if it worked!”
Girls’ Night
“Who’s going first?” Eliza asked, peeking around the corner into the first-floor hallway. The door to Miss Almay’s room stood a few feet away. It was closed, but a shaft of light shone through the crack at the bottom, indicating that the headmistress was, indeed, inside and awake.
“Not so much the fearless leader now, eh, Eliza?” Theresa said, smoothing the front of her green dress as she stepped away from the corner. “You scaredy-cats stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Theresa! Wait!” Catherine whispered, trying to grab for her skirt.
But Theresa just walked right up to Miss Almay’s door and knocked three times. Loudly. For a long moment Eliza couldn’t move or breathe or even think. All she could see in her mind’s eye was Miss Almay whipping the door open, her face purple with fury.
“Hello!?” Theresa shouted. “Anybody home?”
Then she turned, looked at Eliza and Catherine—the only two brave enough to peer around the corner—and raised her palms.
“We did it!” she said giddily. “Come on, girls! You try!”
Eliza’s heart was still pounding as she pulled Catherine out into the hall by both arms. She started to whistle a jaunty tune as she stomped past the headmistress’s room. Gathering her courage, Catherine hummed the tune as well, knocking her fist against the wall to keep the beat. When the two of them arrived at the far end of the hall without incident, they both collapsed on the floor, laughing with relief and a heady feeling of power. They had really done it.
“This is too fun!” Catherine cried, slinging her arm around Eliza’s shoulders.
“What now?” Viola asked.