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thought about her that much, but whenever I did, it made me a little cranky. I turned my back on Jez and stomped off to my room.

Chapter Five
A Girl Villain’s Mind
    The next night, I woke late to find Dodge already gone to breakfast. Quickly, I got dressed, fed Eye of Newt a few fire ants, then dashed down the corridor hoping the Dreary-Os weren’t all gone. Human kids always went for the cereal first, so latecomers usually ended up eating werewolf kibble or some kind of troll cereal like Box-O-Rocks, which is literally a box of rocks. Not wanting to break a tooth or get dog breath, I picked up the pace.
    I arrived in the cafeteria cave, grappled with a Crook for the last few crumbs of Dreary-Os, and found a seat with my allies. Ileana was holding a huge bouquet of flowers. I had a sneaking suspicion she’d conjured them with a spell. Like her mother, Ileana seemed to have a knack for Spelling.
    â€œThose are contraband, you know,” Wolf said, nodding to the flowers and wringing his tail nervously between his paws. “Not allowed at villain school. If we get caught with those, it could mean big trouble.”
    This was for two reasons. One, flowers just don’t scream
evil overlord
, and two, villains are often brought down by ridiculous weaknesses—like seasonal allergies.
    â€œWho cares?” Ileana asked, inhaling deeply. “I like flowers. This place is so bleak sometimes. Besides, I needed them.”
    â€œFor what?” asked Dodge, suddenly curious.
    â€œThis,” Ileana said. We all leaned in closer as she parted the bouquet to reveal a hidden object inside.
    â€œWhat. Have. You. Done!” I whispered, glancing nervously from side to side.
    â€œDon’t worry. I just picked the lock. It was no problem. I conjured up a fake to replace it, too. I’ll return it before he even notices.”
    â€œHe’s going to kill me,” I said.
    Nestled in the flowers was the Dread Master’s crystal ball. Wolf whimpered, but Dodge was smiling admiringly at the princess.
    â€œThere’s no reason for him to suspect you,” said Ileana.
    â€œHe always suspects me!”
    â€œAs soon as I find out who your mom is, I’ll let youknow,” she said, concealing the crystal ball as Master Stiltskin shuffled by, flashing a toothless grin at us.
    I gave Ileana the evil eye, but I couldn’t say anything with a teacher so close. Then I noticed something.
    â€œHey, where’s Jez? She said she wanted to talk to me last night.”
    Ileana, Wolf, and even Dodge all looked at one another.
    â€œI thought you knew,” Wolf said.
    â€œKnew what?” I asked, feeling suspicious. Obviously something was up.
    â€œJez was transferred. To Mistress Morgana’s,” said Wolf.
    â€œWhat?” I asked. My mouth was hanging open as my brain tried to process the information.
    â€œI think her dad, the count, set it up,” Ileana said. “She left last night. That’s why she was packing her
extensive wardrobe
.” The princess made air quotes with her fingers. “She’s known about it for weeks now. That’s the reason she was so moody.”
    â€œShe’s always moody!” I said.
    I couldn’t believe it. Jezebel? Gone! The bell rang and everyone got up to go to their classes, but I just sat at the table, stunned. Ileana patted me on the back.
    â€œSorry, Rune,” she said. Then she left, and the cafeteria cave was empty.
    The rest of that day was a haze. I couldn’t concentrate in any of my classes. In Mad Science, I was called on to demonstrate the progress of my doomsday device. It created some seriously burnt toast and then showered everyone with hot tea, causing a few minor burns. However, Doctor Mindbrood didn’t think that burnt toast and hot tea were evil enough for annihilating humanity, so I had to start over.
    I was so depressed by the time my dad’s class rolled around, I ended up forgetting