Monster High: Season of the Witch

34. Bad Juju

"Don't get your stockings in a twist," Astar said. "Without the curse, Bloodgood's family would have had a forgettable existence like 99% of humans, fading into meaningless obscurity. We made the headless horsemen family into legends. Look at the headmistress now. She's doing quite well, running this school full of docile, domesticated monsters."

Astar flapped his wings and propelled himself to an attic window. "Speaking of, look at all the corpses shuffling around."

The new semester started Monday and students were finally arriving back on campus. Outside, swarms of returning students headed toward the gymnasium for the first casketball game of the season.

"I lost track of time!" Beatrix realized.

She needed to be on standby for Autumn during her fearleading routine. "You distracted me. I'm nowhere close to finishing cleaning!"

"What's the hurry, Bee Bee?"

"None of your business. And don't call me 'Bee Bee'," Beatrix warned.

Astar straightened up. "Yes, ma'am. Any other orders for me?"

"Orders that you'll actually follow?"

"I can choose which requests are appropriate, but I'm not an unreasonable demon," Astar said. "I want to assist you the best I can, just as I hope you'll do for me."

Beatrix glanced around at the cluttered, cobweb-covered attic. "Clean this place in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?"

"Can't handle it? Figures."

"Make it five minutes," Astar countered, yellow irises glowing.

"As if—"

Astar sprung forward. He became a red blur, swooping up Beatrix's cleaning supplies and swiftly cleaning every corner, starting high up in the rafters. He moved so fast that dust swirled around Beatrix, forcing her to shield her face with her hands.

At that moment, it occurred to her that this was the perfect opportunity to ditch him.

Beatrix tiptoed out, her footsteps unnoticed in Astar's frenzy. She rushed down the stairs and sprinted out of the building toward the gym.

However, she'd only made it a few yards when she was seized by a taloned hand, pulled upward.

Shrieking, she dangled in the air, feet losing contact with the grass below.

Massive devil wings flapped above her.

Astar tightened his grip on her arm and lifted her higher into the sky. "Still playing hard to get, I see!"

"Let go of me!" Beatrix demanded.

"As you wish!" Astar said.

Astar released his grip and Beatrix plummeted, braid whipping back as tears welled in her eyes from the rushing wind. She was too shocked to scream as the ground rushed towards her.

She heard Astar's wings flap again as he descended. He grabbed her mid-air by the leg and hoisted her back up.

"Kidding. Can't have you dying on me," Astar laughed. He tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Beatrix's anger flared. "If you're trying to convince me to bind my soul to you after this test trial, you're doing a terrible job!"

The wind roared in Beatrix's ears. She closed her eyes and prayed it would end soon.

Thankfully, Astar touched down and skidded to a stop. He set Beatrix back on her feet.

"See? Much faster my way," Astar said. "And the attic is cleaned. Did it in four minutes."

Beatrix was ready to hurl.

A whistle blew from inside the gym. Despite her queasy stomach, she walked in to find Autumn.

"Don't follow me," she scolded Astar. "That's an order!"

Inside, the fearleaders were lined up with their pom-poms, kicking off the casketball game with some crowd cheers.

Beatrix felt a webbed hand touch her arm.

"Mate, you feeling okay?" Lagoona asked, coming up beside Beatrix. "You look frazzled."

Beatrix's hair must've looked like a rat's nest from that fall.

"That devil is gonna kill me," Beatrix said.

"I would never," Astar quipped.

Beatrix groaned. "I told you to stay outside."

"And I chose to disobey that order," Astar replied. "Who is this ocean beauty?"

"Lagoona, sophomore class rep for the student council. Captain of the swim team," she said, sounding shy, which was unusual for her.

Is Lagoona... blushing?

Beatrix couldn't believe it. She noticed other ghouls in the bleachers sneaking glances at Astar.

"Can you help me out on my first day of classes tomorrow, Lagoona? I'll need a responsible student to show me around," Astar said.

"Happy to." Lagoona gave a flirty smile.

Beatrix wasn't having it. "He doesn't need a tour; he's already been living on campus all winter break."

"Bee is a buzzkill," Astar said.

Lagoona giggled before saying goodbye, smitten.

A few more ghouls approached, hanging around to catch a look at him.

Beatrix stomped ahead.

"'Trix!" she heard Orion's voice.

Orion, Guillermo, and Jackson waved to her from the back row of bleachers. Beatrix climbed up, relieved to see familiar faces.

"You look like you got hit by a truck," Orion snorted.

Beatrix gave the werewolf boy a jab in the arm.

"How's it going with the freaky demon-dude?" Guillermo inquired.

Beatrix sighed. "Apparently, the fifth circle of hell is full of crazy jerks, and he's the lord of them."

She watched Autumn clapping her pom-poms to pop music. Across the gym, Astar was busy charming a group of ghouls from the rival school—a private academy full of forest nymphs.

Beatrix looked around for Grey but didn't spot him in the stands.

"I've been studying the circles of hell since hearing a devil would be on campus," Jackson said. "The fifth circle is known for their devil warriors, where the wrathful fight each other for eternity."

"Foul!" Orion hollered at the court, not listening.

"Orion, you can't root for the other team," Guillermo chided.

"But Clawd fouled that nymph guy! Just 'cause he's alpha, doesn't mean he can get away with it!"

Suddenly, Beatrix heard a thud. There was a collective gasp in the gym.

A crowd gathered at the front of the bleachers where the fearleaders had been performing.

Beatrix shot up and made her way through.

Clumps of straw and mangled threads were scattered across the gym floor.

Beatrix's jaw dropped.

"Autumn!"