Wings of Fire as Humans: Jade Preparatory Academy

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Sundew Oakleaf

Sundew Oakleaf dashed down the hall, glad the day was over. She opened the door to her dorm to find her friends lounging around doing their homework. She joined Cricket, Blue, and Willow at the table. Everyone else was gathered on the couch, and Moon was nowhere to be seen. 

"Hey," Willow said cheerfully. "Did you have fun going to the bathroom?" 

"Did you just ask me if I had fun going to the bathroom?" Sundew asked incredulously. She had indeed gone to the bathroom a few minutes earlier, which was why she'd been the last one of her friends to get to their room. 

Willow shrugged. "Yeah." 

"Why?" 

"Why not?" 

"Uh, because it's weird? Who has fun going to the bathroom?"

"It's only weird if you say it's weird. Plus, it's a conversation starter." 

"Asking someone if they had fun going to the bathroom is not a conversation starter, Willow!" 

"Oh, is it not? We're conversing." 

Sundew stared at her, hating that her friend had a point. "I'm ignoring you." 

"Good idea," Willow said. They both turned back to their work. 

"Can I talk to you?" Cricket whispered to Sundew after a beat of silence. 

Sundew nodded, confused. She noticed Willow and Blue exchanging a confused glance but not interfering. Sundew followed Cricket into their dorm. 

"So what is this about?" Sundew asked, her mind racing with possibilities. 

Cricket sighed, wringing her hands. "So my grandmother talked to me today," she said slowly. 

Oh no, Sundew thought. She had a pretty good idea of where this was going. 

Cricket nodded, reading her expression. "She asked me to give my mother a letter. I wanted to open it, but she said she would know if I did." Cricket sighed. "I don't want to deliver the letter, but I'm worried about Cadelle's . . . anger. She didn't threaten me to deliver the letter, but her tone wasn't exactly what I would call pleasant." 

"Why are you telling me about this?" Sundew asked. 

Cricket frowned slightly. "You're the most capable person I know. Even though you're the most likely to suggest a violent solution, your non-violent solution will work." 

"Okay, but . . . You're, like, way smarter than me. Why can't you do this yourself?"

Cricket pushed her glasses up her nose, looking slightly disgruntled. "Are you refusing my request for help?" 

"No, I'm just . . ." Sundew paused, trying to figure out her words. "Trying to think. I'll help you, but I don't know how much help I can be." 

"Well . . . what do you think is in the message?" 

Sundew shrugged. "I have no idea. I don't think we should open it, though. We should send it to your mom, let her open it, and then find out what's in it." 

Cricket chewed her lip. "I thought of that. But if it's a threat of some sort, she won't tell us. She'll want to protect me." 

"I never said we would ask her," Sundew pointed out, surprised she had to explain this. She could see having to explain this to someone like Blue, but not Cricket. "I said we would find out." 

Cricket frowned. "Find out? How . . . Oh." She nodded. "Good idea." 

"We should involve the others," Sundew said, standing up to head into the main room. "Just, you know, to have some backup." 

"Wait, we'll need backup?" 

Sundew shrugged. "I hope not, but it can't hurt. It's between two estranged Kypselis. It could be anything." She didn't say what she was thinking, knowing it would freak Cricket out too much. But . . .

Cricket's father was a member of the imperial family who'd been disowned for having an affair with her mother. Cadelle was firmly on Queen Wasp's side, so it was possible that the queen would ask her for help. What if Cadelle's message contained a threat from Queen Wasp herself?