CHAPTER 10
Queen of Chaos – Slap!
“What do you mean, Rory knows everything?” Hugo and Izzy exclaimed in unison.
I filled in my friends, and then, Rory and I took turns telling Izzy and Hugo about our plan. Neither of us mentioned that Rory wielded magic. He and I needed to have a good understanding about what had happened and, more so, what he was before we brought anyone else into that situation.
So we shared the approach we’d devised in response to tonight’s events, based on the current wizard “paradigm.” I’d try to hold back my newly found tendency toward rebellion and try my best to act like I always had before today—oblivious.
Cheeva would be my constant companion. I knew there was no one who would bar him entrance anywhere in the stronghold. Wizards knew that familiars weren’t just animals. They were at the heart of our magic, so Cheeva would be going to school with me, which would be unprecedented in the girls’ wing. The good news was that school would only be in session for another week. Even wizards got a summer break.
“So can you and Cheeva talk yet?” Hugo asked from his side of the stone bench.
“Well…” I turned my head to glance at Cheeva, who sat nonchalantly by my side. “We haven’t exactly talked. He did manage to convey to me that I’d have to learn to hear him…”
“And?” Izzy recognized that I had more to say and was impatient to hear the rest.
“And, he called me the Queen of Chaos.” I just let that sit out there to see what reaction it got.
“Uhhh…that doesn’t sound too good,” Rory observed.
“No, it doesn’t exactly leave me feeling warm and fuzzy,” Izzy agreed.
“Oh! Gosh!” Hugo slapped his forehead three times in succession.
“Hugo!” I surged to my feet. “What’s wrong?”
“I recognize that!” He stood and started pacing. “Crap!” He slapped his head again. “I’ve heard that. Queen of Chaos,” he said. “It’s on the tip of my tongue!” Slap!
“Stop hitting yourself, Hugo!” Izzy ordered.
Which Hugo completely ignored as he slapped his head again. “Why can’t I remember? Queen of Chaos.” Slap! “Queen of Chaos!” Slap!
Cheeva did that confused-canine back and forth head-tilt thing.
“Okay, Hugs, you’re creeping me out,” Izzy said, trying a kinder, gentler approach.
“Me too,” I said. “I probably need to know what you’ve heard, seeing as I’m supposedly the actual Queen of Chaos and all, but please stop hitting yourself.” Not knowing what else to do, I sat back down and let Hugo do the pacing and slapping for both of us.
“Okay, I’ve got it! It’s that ancient prophecy…” Hugo ran both hands through his hair. “I researched the Wizard Queen thing before the party, and by the way, I’m pretty sure that’s you. And this has something to do with the prophecy.”
“Oo-kaay. Check, and check,” I added unhelpfully, to which Rory responded with a silly lopsided grin that made my heart take a lopsided beat.
Hugo barked out a self-deprecating laugh. “Of course it has to do with the Wizard Queen.” Slap!
“Stop that!” I yelled as I shot to my feet.
Rory sent me a your-friends-are-crazy look.
Ignoring me, Hugo continued, “We also studied this in my first year of intermediate wizardry. It’s THE prophecy.”
“What’s the prophecy?” Rory asked.
Hugo closed his eyes in concentration as he recited, “And in the modern age of humankind, a Wizard Queen shall rise. She shall bring forth the downfall of the wizard-kin. In league with one whose blood runs with both wizardry and sorcery, they shall split open the Tree of Justice, releasing chaos upon the earth, and the death of all we know.”
“Um, ah, speaking as the potential wizard queen, that sounds totally horrible!” It was my turn to pace. “I mean, I’m never going to do anything like that. I can’t. I couldn’t.” I noticed that Cheeva watched me walk back and forth. “By Prospero’s perfidy, maybe I should just turn myself in now and—”
“So,” Izzy interrupted my rant, “where does the Queen of Chaos come into the prophecy?”
“I didn’t see it at all in my research today when I memorized the prophecy, but when I heard it, I knew I’d read it before,” Hugo explained. “Two years ago, when I studied the prophecy for the first time, it was a footnote at the bottom of the text. It said that the Wizard Queen is also known as the Queen of Chaos.”
“Pretty amazing memory,” Rory told Hugo. “Maybe next time you can manage it without concussing yourself.” He grinned at Hugo.
“Back on topic, guys,” Izzy ordered.
I sat down.
“Addie,” she said, “I’m sure it’s all some kind of…a translation thing?” Her smile was more of a grimace.
“That’s always a possibility with any prophecy from an ancient text,” Hugo agreed absently. “Things are definitely lost in translation, and there is always a bias based on who was translating the prophecy. For instance, chaos might mean something like a social upheaval.” Hugo sat back down next to Izzy. “We need to start digging into that possibility. I volunteer to get that party started.”
Cheeva stood and barked. If I knew how to listen to him, I’m sure he would have had something really vital to share with us.
“Okay, then.” Rory stood up. “It’s time to activate Operation Oblivious.” His teasing grin made me laugh in spite of everything.
Laughter really was the best medicine. “Okay. I think I know my part. I’ve only practiced for it my whole life.”
“You sure have.” Izzy smirked and patted me on the back. “I’ll be your acting coach. I’ll let you know if you drift out of character.”
Hugo stood up, too. “And I’ll start digging into the various translations of the prophecy.”
I held up both my hands, showing my crossed fingers. “I hope this works. Cross your fingers!” And everyone held up their crossed fingers.
As we left the bower, I was no less anxious and afraid, but I didn’t feel alone. Today, the world I’d known had tumbled down on top of me. I knew I could never go back to who I’d been only yesterday, but I had amazing friends, and that was more than a lot of people had.
As we walked back toward the keep, I remembered I’d wanted to tell Hugo something. “Hugo, I saw Zarius use his powers today.”
Hugo’s wide grin split across his face like he knew what I’d say. “Do tell, Addie. What color was it?” He feigned polite interest, but his eyes glinted with mischievous glee.
“Why, it was the palest of pale greens, Hugo,” I said with a little more enjoyment than I’d intended.
“I just adore the new spunky you, Adriana Evangelista!” Hugo smiled all the way back to the keep.
And at that moment, I did, too.