Chapter 20
The voice was Mrs. Huffity's, that was for sure. “Girls, what do you think you're doing here?”
Ivy groaned and leaned in to whisper to Carrie, “That's the same voice she uses on David.”
Carrie looked around the huge cavern, “I know. But where is she? I don't see her anywhere.”
When Mrs. Huffity appeared, it was out of a discreet doorway obscured by a rather large boulder. For the first time in Carrie's recollection, Mrs. Huffity was wearing jeans. Her shirt was a huge flowery one, reminiscent of a Hawaiian shirt with large flowers and bright colors.
“Mrs. Huffity, we were worried about you.”
It was the eagle eye. Mrs. Huffity had it. Every teacher had it. “Do your parents know you're here? You caused quite a ruckus.”
Carrie frowned. It wasn't exactly her fault the first time. And Ivy said that Mrs. Huffity helped her into this world, so it certainly wasn't Ivy's fault. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “Well, I'll just call my Mom.”
“They won't work, Carrie. Nor will texting.” Mrs. Huffity's eyes looked large behind her glasses. She leaned in. “Did you come for Sparky? She's looking quite polished with her new scales, but I'm afraid the process is incredibly painful the first time.”
“New scales?” Ivy asked.
“Indeed. Come along. You won't likely get the chance to see this again.”
Ivy and Carrie followed meekly behind Mrs. Huffity as she led the girls through a twisting and turning hallway, down stairs, through more hallways, up stairs, up more stairs, up more stairs until their legs felt as if they would fall off. And finally, she walked into a large room full of debris.
Sparky caterwauled, rubbing her back and legs against a sharp stone. Large sections of skin flaked off onto the floor.
“How long will it take?” Ivy asked, sending a thought to Sparky Are you okay?
Itchy. Sparky's voice hurt Ivy's mind until she felt Mrs. Huffity there, too. And she realized Mrs. Huffity was blocking out much of Sparky's discomfort.
“It's hard for the little ones the first time around. Sparky hasn't had a good molting during this lifetime, but she's coming through it well. Just a few more days...”
Your new scales are beautiful. Carrie said, in awe of the sparkling gold that caught the light and glinted in the cave.
Still itchy Sparky said.
“Do you want us to scratch your itchy spots?” Carried asked. She was fascinated by Sparky's colorful scales.
If you don't mind. Sparky's voice was considerably more cheerful, and when Carrie and Ivy pet her head, the strange pressure in their heads stopped.
“What just happened, Mrs. Huffity?” Ivy pushed her new glasses back on her nose with one hand while she itched Sparky's neck with the other.
“Sparky missed you both. You know, she impressed on you when she was in the egg. It's rare, and I somehow thought it impossible, but there you have it. She thinks you're her mother, Ivy. And Carrie, you're like an aunt to her.” Mrs. Huffity started to cry then, large tears that she swiped from her cheeks.
“What's wrong?” Ivy couldn't help but stare at her teacher, who never seemed unhappy before.
“They grow up so fast, don't they?” She said, her gaze shifting between Ivy and Carrie.
To the girls' surprise, it was Sparky who answered, Yes, they do.
They stayed with Sparky for an hour, helping scrub the dead skin from his tail to be replaced with shimmering gold scales that seemed to catch the light. The moment they finished her tail, she stood golden before them and then her ear started to itch and she lifted a leg to scratch the way a dog would use his hind paw, and a fleck of gold fell, leaving an orangish bronze speckle in its place.
“You can't stay here.” Mrs. Huffity said, “Carrie, I need the bracelet the underworld princess gave you.” She held out her hand the way a teacher confiscating a favorite toy would. The problem was...Carrie didn't want to lose her magical gate.
“Please Mrs. Huffity, in case I want to come back.” Carrie couldn't stand the thought of going home, of facing her parents fighting any more. She needed the bracelet. She needed to know she could come back if things got too rough.
“No, Carrie. It would be too easy for you to hide here. And it would hurt your mother to lose both of you at the same time.” Mrs. Huffity looked so very wise, and for just that split second Carrie thought she saw a dragon's eyes behind those glasses.
Carrie realized what Mrs. Huffity was saying and her heart sunk, “You mean my dad is really leaving?”
Mrs. Huffity took her glasses off and the sorrow in her eyes was immense. “Carrie, sometimes life doesn't take the direction we want. You have a gift so few have. You know there is more than just the earth. There are so many possibilities and so many people and creatures to love. Don't let this moment of pain destroy you.”
Carrie felt pain in her heart. What good was magic if it didn't make a happy ending. “But maybe if you talked to him. I know you're more than you seem.”
“We mustn't speak of it, especially when you are home. And my words would make no difference to the situation.” Mrs. Huffity put her hand on Carrie's head, much the same way she did Sparky's. “You are delightful, and you have quite the talent for drawing. I'm surprised you haven't taken more time to indulge.”
Ivy was listening to the exchange between Carrie and Mrs. Huffity and wondered what drawing had to do with anything. It certainly wouldn't bring Carrie's parents back together.
Carrie smiled quietly, “Thank you.”
“Now off you go, before we all get into trouble.”
And suddenly, Carrie and Ivy found themselves sitting outside the principal's office. Ivy looked over to see Carrie close her eyes and swallow once.
“Carrie, what she said about your parents...are you okay?”
Carrie shrugged. She didn't know how she felt. “I thought they'd get back together. Mrs. Huffity made it seem so final, you know? Like there's no chance.”
Ivy nodded. “That's what I thought, too. But we had an adventure.”
“She took my bracelet. Do you think we'll ever have an adventure again? I mean a real adventure?” Carrie kept her voice low because the door opened at just that moment and the secretary walked in.
“We're not even halfway through the school year. And she said she'd be back in a week or so. I'm sure we will.”
At that moment, the principal poked his head out of the doorway. “Ah, you're just the two young ladies I want to see.”
And that was the end of Carrie and Ivy's adventure with fierce winds and fiery dragons. Little did they realize when the principal dismissed them that another adventure was just around the corner. After all, there's never a dull moment when your teacher is a fire-breathing dragon...
***The End***
Carrie and Ivy's adventures continue in Dusky Hollows: The Curse of the Invisibles.
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