Chapter 3

After finishing the dining hall, the bathrooms, half the classrooms, and the library, Parker was spent. Night Raven was by no means a small school, and though it was meticulously kept, it was still old. Dust and dirt were not hard to come by, especially while cleaning. By the time the final bell chimed through the halls of the school, it was all she could do to store her cleaning supplies. How was she supposed to go searching through an old mine feeling like this?

The thought of skipping out on their little adventure crossed her mind. After all, it wasn't her fault the chandelier broke. Let the other two find the stupid crystal.

Parker stared at the broom closet for a full minute and frowned. No, she couldn't risk it. Not when her way home was on the line. She locked the closet with a groan and made her way to the Hall of Mirrors.

The room was aptly named, containing the entrances to all seven dorms- which turned out to be mirrors enchanted to act as doors. An extra eighth mirror stood among them, meant to transport travelers to destinations off Night Raven's campus. She swallowed the prick of disappointment upon seeing Ace and dark-haired student waiting for her. Though, she allowed herself the small satisfaction that neither was pleased to see her either.

"Let's go," the dark-haired student said, and made his way through to the eighth mirror without so much as a look back. Parker watched him before stepping up to it herself. For a second, Parker hesitated. She knew all she had to do was step through, but her instincts made her falter.

Ace had to shove her forward. Her foot slipped into the mirror as it would have a puddle of water. The reflective glass rippled and swirled until she couldn't feel herself moving. The sensation was like running in a dream, moving and not at the same time. In a blink, it was over. The Hall of Mirrors was replaced with a forest of thick-leafed trees. The remnants of afternoon sunlight streamed in patches on the grassy floor. Who she didn't see was the other student.

"Where'd he go?" Parker jumped at the Ace's voice. She'd almost forgotten he was behind her.

The dark-haired student emerged from a thicket almost like he'd been cued.

"I can see the Dwarves' cottage. If I'm right the mines aren't too far off." He slipped off again, not bothering to see if the others were behind him.

Parker jogged a bit to catch up. Further in, they approached a brook with a rotted footbridge. On the other side stood the dwarves' cottage he'd mentioned, white washed and thatched-roofed like something out of a storybook. She almost wanted to explore it, but held herself back. They were on a mission, and the sooner they got what they came for the sooner she could get away from Ace.

A sign post on their side of the footbridge pointed towards an overgrown path to their right. The faded paint read "Dwarf Mines".

They followed the path for a half hour before they came upon the entrance to what must have been the mines. Really, it just looked like forest cave. A closer look, however, revealed scars in the rock that must have come from tools. Whoever worked the mine hadn't been around in decades. In fact, it was so abandoned it reminded Parker of Ramshackle Dorm.

"Do you think it's safer to go in there?" she asked.

The other student huffed, "We don't have a choice."

"Relax," Ace started towards the entrance, "Or do you need buttercup over there to hold your hand?"

The other student bristled, "My name is Deuce."

"Yeah, sure," Ace shrugged stepping into the darkness of the cave mouth, "get in here, Goose."

"Deuce!"

Parker sighed and followed them inside. The path before them yawned deeper into the ground. Much like her dorm, cobwebs and dirt reigned supreme over ancient support beams. The stone walls had chunks of glittering rock embedded in them, but none looked like the crystal they'd broken.

A realization crept into her mind. They were in a mine. If they did find the crystal, they were going to have to pry it out of the rock. How were they supposed to- She smiled as they rounded a corner. Propped against the wall was a small pickaxe. Jackpot.

Parker jogged ahead and lifted the tool, wiping away its cobwebs. The handle wobbled a little, but it was better than nothing.

"We might need-" Just as she was about to face the others, something leapt onto her shoulders. She screamed. To her horror, the thing was crawling on her with sharp claws and ticklish fur. An animal. She managed to shove it to the floor. The creature took off running further down the mine in flash of blue light.

"Hey!" she cried and ran after it, almost knocking into Deuce as she did.

He jumped back as the creature darted around his ankles, "What-?"

"Stupid humans!" the creature called from further down the cave, "That crystal's mine!"

Parker's grip tightened on the pickaxe. She knew that voice.

Memory of the night before flickered in her head.

Gimme your uniform!

The demon cat.

"Not you!" she muttered. It was bad enough she'd been roped into this along with Ace and Deuce, now she had to deal with him? Again?

"You know him?" Ace ran alongside Deuce and Parker further into the mine. Both ignored him. The trio panted hard as they followed the creature's blue glow down winding tunnels. His light became smaller and smaller the further they went.

"That sucker's too fast," Ace frowned.

"I got it," Parker adjusted her grip on the pickaxe and put on a burst of speed. In her mind, she told herself the demon cat was a Running Back, a soccer ball, a pitch that was quickly flying out of bounds. And Parker had her feet. She was on the smaller side, but her size made her nimble.

Farther up, the mine curved to the left. The cat darted around the corner, out of her view. Parker was about turn behind him when an unearthly roar shook the rocks around them. She froze in time to see the demon cat fly past and hit the wall hard. A massive shadow emerged from the tunnel he'd run through.

Parker's face went cold as the blood drained from her cheeks. She heard Ace and Deuce halt just behind her.

"What is that thing?" Deuce cried.

"Crowley never mentioned one of those," Ace took a step back.

The shadows fell away to reveal a monster towering over them. A faceless nightmare of a creature oozing something black and viscous from its head onto the tattered remains of its shirt.

"WON'T. GIVE," the creature bellowed in a voice so garbled Parker struggled to understand. "STONE. IS. MINE!"

Stone. The monster was guarding a stone. In a cave full of rocks that could only mean one thing: there was a magic crystal left. The hope brought on by the realization vanished as the monster reared back. "WON'T. GIVE!".

Ace turned to run when Deuce caught his arm, "What are you doing? It has a crystal!"

"And?" Ace tried to pull away.

"We'll be expelled without it!" Deuce said, "We need to go after it!"

Another piercing roaring shook pebbles loose from the ceiling.

Parker shot Deuce a look, "We need to be alive to get it! Let's go!"

The monster roared again and charged the three of them.

Ace snatched a pen of his own from his jacket pocket and aimed at the monster, "Wind!"

The monster flew back just far enough to buy them some time to escape. Parker was vaguely aware of the demon cat sprinting at her heels. They cleared the entrance of the mine a minute later, the monster's chilling roar still echoed at their backs. They didn't stop running until they tumbled into a clearing by the brook, out of sight of the mine.

They collapsed to the ground, gulping in as much air as their burning lungs allowed.

Parker gasped as a spike of fear rose in her chest. Her hat. Her hand flew to her head and she almost cried in relief. It was still on her head.

The demon cat let out a whine. He lay a few paces away, flat on his back, "My one chance at getting into Night Raven."

Parker frowned at the creature. His chance?

Stupid humans. That crystal's mine!

"Wait," she panted, "how did you know we were looking for a crystal?"

The demon cat groaned, "I saw you idiots break the chandelier."

Ace bore unblinking eyes at a patch of grass in front of him, "That's fine. You can have my spot."

Somewhere to her left, Deuce went rigid. Slowly, he craned his neck until he could get a good look at Ace. "What?"

Ace shook his head, still too shaken to look at any of them properly, "I'm not going back there. Screw it."

Deuce stared him down, "You can't be serious."

When Ace didn't answer, Deuce narrowed his eyes, "Don't screw with me. I would rather die than get expelled!"

Parker eyed him carefully. A real Hermione Granger.

"Tough," Ace said. He only fueled Deuce's determination.

" We basically found the crystal," he said. "and you want to give up?"

Parker hated to admit it, but in that moment, she wasn't sure who she sided with. Her instincts screamed to avoid the mine at all costs. Sure, she might lose Crowley's help, but it wouldn't do her any good if she was dead. Her brain, however… Deuce had a point. The magic crystal was in their reach and the risks of not going after it could mean she was trapped in this world forever, alive or no.

Ace rolled his eyes, "You think your magic is strong enough to beat something like that, go right ahead, but I'm not risking my life just to stay at Night Raven."

Deuce clenched his jaw, "So you're a coward."

"Coward?" Ace let out a single laugh, "you'd rather die than get kicked out of school."

"We can't get expelled on our first day," Deuce glared. "You said so yourself."

Ace let out a single, hysterical laugh, "Buddy, there are worse things."

Something akin to fire lit in Deuce's eyes, "Worse?"

Parker sensed that, maybe, Ace had crossed a line neither of them knew was there.

Ace, however, didn't seem to notice, "Yeah! Like dying!"

Something gave inside of Deuce, like an overly tuned guitar string snapping in two. Without warning he slammed Ace into the trunk of a thick oak tree, "I'm disappointing my family!"

Ace faltered while Park sprang to her feet. As much as she wanted to help, she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to get between the boys. Not at that moment.

Deuce tightened his grip on Ace's shoulder, "I can't afford to show up less than a day after leaving! " Parker wasn't sure if he realized he was yelling. "Not after hearing my mother cry- every night!- about how she doesn't know where she went wrong." Deuce's face twitched, anger and anguish mixing under his brow. "All because her screw-up son can't get his damn life together."

Just like that, the fight left him. He let go of Ace. Both of them sagged to the forest floor. A heartbeat passed. Two, before Deuce shook his head, "When the Black Carriage came to pick me up... I'd never seen her so proud. I promised her... I promised I'd be the best student Night Raven had ever seen."

Parker suddenly found it impossible to make eye contact with Deuce.

He took in a breath, released it and said, "So, yeah. You're right. There are worse things."

Silence stretched between the four of them. Ace's throat bobbed as he processed Deuce's outburst. Even the demon cat had enough sense to bite his tongue. As for Parker, she frowned at her shoes. Deuce's outburst shook something in her core, a raw nerve she didn't need anyone here knowing about. She swallowed down the emotions that threatened to bubble up.

It occurred to them that they were stuck. Well and thoroughly stuck. The crystal was within their reach, but Ace's magic barely did anything to help. Parker's brain was back to warring with itself. Suicide mission or expulsion, expulsion or suicide mission. It figure, she thought, after constantly fighting since they'd met this was the one thing all four of them agreed on.

Parker blinked.

All four of them.

Four of them.

The idea was flimsy, but they had magic. If they could cobble together a strategy... it was worth a shot. "What if there's a way to beat the monster?"

Ace, the demon cat and Deuce glanced her way.

Ace glowered, "Don't play."

Parker adjusted her cap. "I'm not. Think about it. There's four of us and one of it. We might be able to outsmart it if we work together."

"Together?" the demon cat balked, "I'm the Great and Mighty Grim! A magician of my caliber doesn't need lesser wizards."

Parker crossed her arms, "You can beat it on your own, then?"

The demon cat, Grim, sputtered as the others watched him rack his little brain for something, anything to say. Unfortunately for him, he knew Parker had a point. He pouted, "But that crystal! It's my only way to get into Night Raven."

Parker rolled her eyes, "Fine. If you help us, we'll put in a good word for you with the Headmaster."

That sparked some life back into Grim, or she thought it did based on how the fire at his ears flickered brighter.

"What about you two?" she looked over at Ace and Deuce. The two exchanged a glance. Ace still did not look convinced, but at the very least he was listening.

A beat later, it was Deuce who asked, "What did you have in mind?"

The sun hung low as they huddled behind a line of thickets at the edge of the Dwarves' Mines. From where they were, they didn't see any signs of the monster. Still, they kept out of sight in case it lingered around the entrance.

"Remember what to do?" Parker turned back to the others. They each nodded. Their strategy didn't take very long to cobble together, at least not after seeing what both boys and Grim could do with magic. The plan was rough, but it was enough to get what they came for. It had to be.

Parker took a deep breath. She nodded, stood, and jogged for the entrance of the mine, collecting rocks as she went. As soon as she was at the mouth of the mine, she tossed one in as hard as she could.

"Hey! Big faceless monster!" she cried. "You home?"

Parker let loose another rock. This time, that god-awful roar echoed from deeper in the cave. Good. She had to draw the monster further out. She three more rocks before the monster's head emerged from the mine.

"Over here!" She jogged further from the entrance and landed a rock to the monster's left shoulder. It roared again, though Parker didn't think for a second she'd hurt it. The creature edged closer until the entrance to the mine was left wide open.

Now was their chance, "Grim! Ace!"

"Hurricane force winds, coming right up!" Ace loosed a rush of air so powerful, Parker had to jump out of the way to keep from being blown away. Her hand was pinned to her hat for good measure. Grim wasn't far behind, mixing blue flames into Ace's wind. The fire whipped into an inferno that encircled the monster.

"Deuce," Ace called over, not daring break his gaze away, "Its all you!"

Deuce, however, was panicking.

"Something heavy… something heavy," he muttered to himself.

The monster roared and swatted at the inferno.

"Deuce!" Ace yelled.

"Something heavy," it was like Deuce hadn't heard him, "Something heavy!"

The monster was shrieking now. Grim's blue flames began to flicker as it swatted at them with talon-like claws.

"DEUCE!"

Ace's cry snapped Deuce from his trance, "Big- heavy-yeah! Come forth, Cauldron!"

If not for the fact she was caught in the middle of an honest-to-goodness battle against an honest-to-goodness monster, Parker would have gawked as a large, cast iron cauldron appeared over the monster's head and crushed it to the floor.

"Yeah!" Grim cheered.

"Let's go," Ace ran into the mine, Parker went after him, retrieving the pickaxe she'd left by the bushes.

"You think they can keep him down?" She panted.

"They'll have to," Ace grinned.

Before long, they made it to tunnel where the monster had first appeared. There, embedded into the stone at the end of the chamber was a crystal the size of Parker's fist. Parker ran to the stone and raised the pickaxe. The impact rang through her bones like the vibration of a bell. She lifted it to strike again when Ace snatched the tool from her hands.

"No time," he said, and made quick work of the rock. In three strikes the crystal rolled to the floor. Parker trapped it up between her fingers. They'd done it. Their plan had worked. Wow all that was left was to—

Another roar shook the cavern around them. Ace tossed the pickaxe aside and sprinted for the entrance, Parker only a step behind. They made it out of the mine in record time, yelling "Go! Go! Go!"

Grim and Deuce did not need to be told twice. The cauldron keeping the monster down was beginning to buckle as it tried to rise.

The four didn't stop until they found the spot where they'd first exited the mirror. Parker was only half surprised to find another mirror etched into the trunk of a wide tree. She didn't stop to wonder if, technically, it was the same one the other side. She was too busy running for it to care.

She was ten paces away. Eight. Five. The mirror's surface rippled as her foot caught on a tree root. Parker didn't have the chance to scream as she hit the floor, spilling the crystal in front of her as her arms failed to catch her.

"No!"

Deuce was there, scooping it up as Ace turned to see what had happened when both froze. Parker glared, ready to demand what their problem was when something tickled her cheek. She looked to the side and dread filled her chest.

Her hat had fallen off.

"No way," Ace breathed.

Parker scrambled to her knees and shoved the hat back on. Her fingers shook as she struggled to stuff her braids back under the brim.

Grim frowned, "What?

"Are you blind?" Deuce shot him a wide-eyed look, "He's a- she's a-"

"Not now!" She sprang to her feet and bolted for the mirror. It was enough to knock the boys from their stupor. They followed her through, Grim bringing up the rear. The second his tail clear the glass, Deuce yelled, "Close!"

The surface of the mirror glossed over and stilled with a flash of light. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but Parker swore she heard the echo of the monster's shrieks as it did. She gulped in several breaths.

They'd made it back.

The four of them stood as the shock drained from their veins. The silence of the Hall of Mirrors compared to the sounds of the forest felt like hitting a wall. At least, until, Ace nearly screamed, "What the fu-"

Parker clapped a hand over his mouth, "Not a damn word."

Beside Ace, Deuce cradled the the crystal between his hands, looking as pale as he did when they'd broken the chandelier, "But you're…"

Parker sighed, slipping her hand away, "No one was supposed to know."

"No one was supposed to know what?" Grim stomped his padded foot against the stone floor, his ears flickered blue, "Tell me what the big deal is!"

As much as she didn't want to, Parker knew she'd have to explain both to them and to Crowley. Even after everything, she still might have lost her only chance at getting home. She could try to keep the it from the headmaster, but judging by the little she'd learned about the two boys, she doubted either had the capacity to keep a secret for long.

"Let's get to Crowley's office," she grumbled, "I'll explain there."

Headmaster Crowley stared at them from his seat behind the desk. He'd spotted the crystal the instant they'd entered his office and demanded they tell him everything. Between the four of them, they managed to cover every detail of their adventure up to and including the fact that Parker's cover had been blown. The headmaster listened, nodding occasionally as they described what they'd seen and how they beat the monster. Behind his desk were portraits of the Great Seven. They gave Parker the sense that they, too, were listening to their story. As they wrapped up their tale, Parker was certain Crowley's calm demeanor would all vanish once she confessed, but even after they'd stopped talking, Crowley was careful to keep any emotion from showing on his face.

They stood there for ten seconds, then thirty, then a full minute without so much as a word from Crowley. Then, as if shocked from his seat, the Headmaster sprang up and beamed at the four of them.

"In the history of this school, never has there been such a rousing display of cooperation!" Parker new it was impossible, but swore she saw tears welling in the corner of his mask's eye holes. She didn't bring it up. "You all stood up against a common enemy and defeated it hand in hand. This truly is an auspicious day!"

"We- we did not hold hands," Deuce said.

Crowley either didn't hear or chose to ignore his comment as he rounded on Parker and beamed, "You! You don't have a spark of magic in you, and yet you've managed to accomplish something no professor ever could! Perhaps it's your lack of talent that gives you the ability to think strategically."

Parker couldn't believe her ears, nor could she conjure up a better response than, "Thanks?"

Again, Crowley went on as if no one had spoken, "We still don't know how you've come to us, but it's clear to me, Miss Parker, that you have something to offer this school yet."

Parker still didn't quite understand everything she was hearing, "So, you're not kicking me out?"

"Whatever for?" Crowley laughed.

"Because I managed to blow my cover after only a day?" She exchanged a glance with Ace who could only shrug. He was just as confused as the rest of them.

"Hey! What about me?" Grim's patience was at an end, "I helped too, you know! And these guys promised they'd convince you to let me in!"

Ace put up his hands, "All we said was that we'd put in a good word for you, fur ball."

"Grim's right," Deuce said to Ace, "We did promise." He turned to Headmaster Crowley and gave a short bow, "Grim was an important part of getting that crystal, we think it's more than fair that he can attend Night Raven."

For the first time since they recounted their adventure, Crowley's smile cracked. He examined Grim from a distance as if trying to gauge something in him. Grim stared back, standing on his hind legs with his front paws crossed in front of him. It was a little unnerving to see a cat standing like a bratty child. Then again, after the mine monster Parker found Grim almost adorable.

"I see," Crowley stroked at his chin, "Well, he certainly has displayed bravery…"

"And he has fire magic," Parker chimed in, "It's pretty incredible."

"I wouldn't go that far," Ace muttered.

Crowley thought for a second more, then said, "I don't doubt it. But some of the subjects do require more (how do I put this?) human characteristics to be successful," the headmaster's gaze fell on Parker. He hummed, tapping his chin as if considering something, "Then again, there is the issue of Parker's identity having been discovered…"

Ace, Grim, Deuce, and Parker all exchanged a look. What in the world did one thing have to do with the other? She'd been discovered by Ace and Deuce, but that had no bearing on Grim whatsoever. They startled as Crowley sparked to life again and clapped once.

"I have it!" Crowley said, "Parker and Grim, how do you feel about being enrolled as two halves of the same student?"

Both Grim and Parker didn't respond beyond a confused, "Huh?"

"Simple!" Crowley's smile was back, "Grim has the magic, but may need some extra assistance with the more mundane aspects of class, and since he isn't assigned to any dorm he can be the second resident of Ramshackle. As for Parker, I appear to have underestimated the challenge of hiding her, well, her herness. If I enroll her as a freshman, that will make it much easier for you boys to help her prevent anyone else from finding the truth."

"Hold on!" Ace scoffed at the news, "How is this my responsibility?"

Deuce didn't even hesitate," Maybe because you picked a fight with her in the first place."

"Me?" Ace whipped his head towards Deuce.

Crowley silenced them all with a hand, "Having one of you three around at all times will ensure no one accidentally reveals her to the rest of the school."

No. Parker was just as incensed as Ace, if not more so. She was supposed to be done with them after tonight. Now Crowley expected them to be classmates?

"Don't I get a say in this?" Parker asked, "What happened to being the janitor? I don't want to be a student I…" she was at a loss. Groaning, she said, "I'm taking a gap year."

Crowley shrugged, "Well, you certainly have a choice. But know that if you decline my generous offer, Grim will be unable to attend."

Parker knew better than to look at Grim but found herself doing it anyway. He looked up at her with the biggest, bluest eyes she had ever seen and would ever see in her life. The meekness in his pout and the dulled flames at his ears made him seem like a proper house cat. Dammit, he looked downright precious.

She glared down at him, "Fine. Whatever."

"Then it's settled," Crowley nodded, "You'll begin classes in the morning."

"No," Ace was not about take this, "Deuce and I never agreed to do anything!" When Deuce didn't say a word, Ace shoved him, "Back me up, cauldron boy."

Deuce glowered, but didn't say a word.

Crowley was beginning to get irritated, "Well, if you don't agree I could always go through with your expulsion."

"What?" Deuce jumped up.

"That's extortion," Ace narrowed his gaze.

Crowley simply smiled and sat on the edge of his desk, "Welcome to Night Raven. I'll expect to see all four of you in classes tomorrow. You're dismissed."

The four of them left the headmaster's office with varying emotions. Grim burst out first, doing a little dance that set off sparks wherever he went. Deuce followed, looking for all the world like he hadn't slept in weeks. Ace muttered under his breath as he followed behind his dorm mate, and Parker trudged out with a knot in her stomach so tight she feared she would heave. How were they going to do this?

They walked together down several hallways until they came to the point they'd have to separate; Deuce and Ace would go back to the Hall of Mirrors while Parker and Grim made their way to Ramshackle dorm. They hovered, not quite sure how to leave each other after everything.

"We'll see you tomorrow, I guess," Ace rubbed the back of his neck.

"I guess," Parker answered. She wasn't too keen on him after everything. They shuffled around for a second more.

Ace sighed and rolled his eyes, "It's nothing against you."

"We know you're not happy with this either," Deuce added.

"I am," Grim sang. He ignored the three scowls aimed at him.

Parker softened. Deuce was right. With a little less force than she thought she needed, Parker half smirked, "We're stuck."

"Yeah," Ace returned the look, "We are."

The gesture did nothing to dispel the tension, but they tried.

"Get a good night's sleep," Ace called over his shoulder as Parker began to walk away. "You're going to need it."