Devon couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so devastated as everyone listened via Jade's smartphone to Jamil's confession. She could her own heartbeat ringing in her ears, her stomach felt like it was going to drop right out of her, and she could feel a lump forming in her throat like she'd just tried to swallow a large pill without any water. DJ had been right about everything-Jamil had just been stringing her along this entire time. He'd more or less just admitted that he'd brought her and Grim to the dorm in the first place to help move his plan along and her heart dropped even further when she remembered the kiss they'd shared on the balcony. Thinking back to what had led up to it, it didn't Devon long to put together that he'd only been trying to distract her from talking to Kalim about what had been happening and potentially sussing Jamil out that much quicker. She remember the inquisitive look he'd given her the first time they spoke when she told him she'd been sent by the headmaster to question him about the injuries he sustained before the Spelldrive interdorms. It left her wondering whether any of the time they'd spent together was only because he was trying to get on her good side so he could use her as an inroad to Crowley or out of a genuine desire to get to know, like he'd said.

She could scarcely remember Jade standing and motioning for her and Grim to follow him out of Scarabia's lounge, but the next thing she knew, they had stepped out from behind a corner to finally confront Jamil. Her mind was still racing as it tried to decide what to feel in the moment, cycling between heartbreak, fury, and stunned disbelief before finally deciding that Jamil didn't deserve to know that he'd made her feel any of those things. The old 'never let 'em see you sweat' mantra from her time as a cheerleader shoved its way to the forefront of her mind and she schooled her features into a cold stare as soon as Jade began speaking.

"And there we have it," Jade said, announcing their presence.

Jamil whipped around to face them, the usually hyper-aware vice dorm leader too wrapped up in his own monologue to notice how close they'd gotten. "You…"

"So now you finally show your true colors! Bet you thought you were real slick, pullin' the wool over our eyes like that!" Grim said, pointing an accusing finger at Jamil.

Jamil barely registered what Grim had said as his eyes landed on Devon. He barely suppressed the shiver that ran down his spine when her eyes finally met his and fixed him with an unsettlingly icy glare, the warmth in her brown eyes that he'd become so used to (and attached to) nowhere to be seen. "How…How much did you hear?" he asked, though from the way Devon was looking at him, he was certain he already knew the answer.

"Everything you've said from the moment you left the lounge," Jade supplied. "It's all been livestreamed from Azul's smartphone."

"What?!" Jamil exclaimed, feeling panic rise within him.

"As of this moment, the livestream on Azul's Magicam has," Jade paused to check his phone, "around five thousand active viewers." His lips quirked into a smirk. "Oh, and would you look at that? It appears it's already trending under the topic: "A Certain Mage Academy's Dirty Little Secret." It seems your big debut is making quite the splash, vice dorm leader. And naturally, all of your fellow dorm students having been watching as well."

The sound of multiple sets of running footsteps heralded the arrival of said dorm students, all of them with varying expressions of betrayal and hurt on their faces.

"Is all of that true, vice dorm leader?" Scarabia A demanded, his brows knit together in a frown.

"Have you really been playing us for fools this whole time?" Scarabia B asked, heartbroken.

"Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing! This guy's nothin' but a liar and a fraud!" Grim exclaimed as he hopped up onto Devon's shoulder. "Ain't that right, Dev?"

Devon remained silent despite the growing intensity of her glare, though Jamil could now see the tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. An unfamiliar and very unpleasant feeling began welling up in his stomach at the sight and he took a hesitant step toward her. "It's…It's not what you think. I was just…"

"There's no point in trying to talk your way out of this," Jade interrupted as Devon took an abrupt step back. "The mind control magic you just used on Azul is all the evidence we need." He turned his attention to Devon. "He used you, Devon. Just like he used Kalim and all of his dormmates." His gaze returned to Jamil. "It's been you all along, Jamil Viper. You've been using your Unique Magic on Kalim and having him throw Scarabia into an uproar."

"Gh…" Jamil's mind raced, pulling out one plan after another, but he knew there was no point. Jade was right-there was no sense in trying to deflect the blame now. He sighed. "I was hoping things wouldn't escalate to this point, but it seems you've left me no choice." He looked over at Azul. "Subdue and restrain them, Azul. Your master commands it!"

"As you wish, Master," Azul responded, his voice void of emotion as he turned toward Jade, Grim, and Devon.

Devon and Grim watched Azul worriedly; Jade had told them that Azul had some kind of plan in place in the event that Jamil really was behind everything happening in Scarabia-he never would've gone off alone with him otherwise-but they were in the dark as to what exactly that contingency plan was. Jade's unreadable expression as Azul began to move toward them wasn't helping matters.

"Azul!" Jade called out. "You must come back to your senses!"

"Pleading with him won't help," Jamil scoffed with a smug smirk. "He's completely under my control now!"

"Indeed. I am Jamil's loyal minion," Azul agreed…before the blank look left his face and he rolled his eyes at the statement. "Pfft. Or, at least, he wishes I was."

"What?!" Jamil shouted as Azul smirked at him over his shoulder before rejoining Jade and the rest.

"What's the matter, Jamil?" Azul asked mockingly. "Let me guess: you dropped your guard around me because you mistook me for some arrogant mage. Quite the embarrassing blunder for the vice dorm leader of a dorm that's meant to embody the spirit of foresight."

"How? How were able to break free?!" Jamil demanded. "I know you made eye contact with me. You were under my control!"

Now it was Azul's turn to scoff. "Pfft. Please. I'm a cautious mage by nature. I always plan for any eventuality. Isn't that right, Floyd?" He looked over his shoulder at the eel-mer as he came around the corner.

"Let your guard down a little too soon, didn't ya, Sea Snake?" Floyd asked, though the baritone voice that came out of him threw the students standing closest to him-except for Jade, it would seem-for a loop.

"Mrah?! What the heck's goin' on with your voice?!" Grim asked.

"I signed a contract with Azul and got this rad deep voice in exchange for handing over Bind The Heart," Floyd explained. "What'cha think? Don't I sound all tough and grizzled now?"

"Floyd's Unique Magic directly interferes with another person's magic and allows the caster to deflect and redirect it," Azul elaborated.

"Which is how you were able to avoid Jamil's mind control magic," Devon deduced.

"Got it in one, Devon," Azul replied. "I swiped-ah, ahem-I borrowed it from Floyd as collateral to ensure Jamil's Unique Magic would have no effect on me should he decide to use it. Once he did, I merely pretended to be under his control, which in turn led to him dropping his guard enough to gloat and reveal the full extent of his plan."

"Dang, Azul. I mean, I knew you were twisted but that's somethin' else…,"Grim said.

Azul pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Personally, I prefer to be called cunning. In any case, it didn't take me long to realize that Jamil was the only person Kalim would care enough about to resist the effects of Jade's Unique Magic. That realization was what I staked this entire plan on."

"Ja…mil…?" a quavering voice spoke up. The dorm students parted to make way for Kalim as he shakily made his way forward. Several of them cast him sympathetic glances; the poor boy looked like he was on the verge of tears. "What's going on? What is all this?"

Jamil blinked. "K-Kalim…"

"All that stuff about you controlling me… It can't be true, can it?" Kalim asked desperately. "I mean, I know I've been having blackouts lately and hours have passed by the time I come to… But that's just me nodding off or, like, my anemia acting up or something, right?" He gave Jamil a hollow smile, his red eyes pleading. "You know how easy it is for me to doze off pretty much anywhere. I mean, you've been getting after me about it for years. So go ahead and tell them it's not true, okay?"

Jamil stared at Kalim emotionlessly, but didn't say a word.

"Using your Unique Magic on me… Plotting to get me expelled… There's no way you'd ever do anything like that, right?" Kalim continued, practically begging Jamil to agree with him. "You're the one person who wouldn't ever betray me, aren't you? I mean, we're best friends, after all!"

Jamil's lip finally quirked upward as he began to chuckle. That chuckle then morphed into a cruel-sounding laugh which then quickly became a full-on cackle as he practically folded himself in half when he doubled over to hold his stomach.

"H-Hey… What's the matter?" Kalim asked as he took a reflexive step back.

Jamil took a deep breath before righting himself. "This is exactly what I've been talking about…"

Kalim blinked. "Huh?"

"For as long as I can remember, you've been exactly the same as you are now. Waltzing through your day to day life with your head in the clouds and that carefree, foolish smile on your face," Jamil said. He narrowed his eyes into the most venomous glare anyone had ever seen from him, his voice rising with each word. "And you know something? I'VE ALWAYS HATED IT!"

Kalim and several of the nearby students flinched backward at the sudden shout, but Jamil kept going.

"You go about your life without a care in the world, subjecting me to your ridiculous impulsive whims and not paying a single thought to everything I have to do to make them happen for you!" Jamil ranted. "The sight of your smile makes my skin crawl! I can't stand it any longer! There's no point in sugarcoating anything anymore. Ever since we were children, I've always, always wished that you were gone! But all that ends today…" Magical energy began to crackle in the air and it was pulled toward him. "Myself, my family… I don't give a damn about any of it anymore!"

"W-Wait! Just hold on, Jamil!" Kalim begged.

But Jamil was too far gone to hear him. "[The one you see before you is your master. When I ask you a question, you will answer. When I give you a command, you will obey! Snake Whisper!]"

Almost immediately, all of the Scarabia dorm students began groaning and holding their heads as Jamil's Unique Magic took effect.

"Unbelievable! Did he just put the entire dorm under his spell at once?!" Azul marveled.

"All of you, eject Kalim and the Octavinelle boys from the dorm at once!" Jamil ordered.

"Yes, Master," the students droned as they turned and began to trudge toward the group.

"Jamil!" Kalim shouted again, desperate to get through to him.

It was no use; the Scarabia students had descended on them in a matter of seconds. Zephyr's wind magic was able to blast them back, but they kept getting back up no matter how hard they'd been blasted against the wall. Some of them tried to apprehend Kalim, Azul, and the twins with magic, while the more athletic ones attempted to take them on physically with equally poor results.

"So not only is Jamil able to control all of these students, he's able to issue them separate commands?!" Azul observed as he deflected another spell with one of his own. "There's nothing mediocre about him. He's easily one of the most powerful mages in the school, to say nothing of Scarabia!"

"Tell me about it," Floyd agreed as he tossed another student head-first into a pillar. "These guys just keep gettin' back up no matter how many times I put the squeeze on 'em. It's like fightin' a horde of zombies!"

Kalim, meanwhile, was still trying to reason with Jamil. "Please, Jamil! Just stop this! You can have what you want! You can be dorm head and I'll go back home…"

"What? You think that's going to be enough? The spell that binds me won't be broken so easily, Kalim," Jamil replied. "So long as you exist in this world, Kalim… I'll never be free!"

There was another surge of energy as Jamil issued another round of telepathic commands.

"You have to stop, Jamil!" Jade warned. "You'll be in danger if you keep overworking your Unique Magic like this! At the rate you're going, you'll exceed your blot tolerance level in a matter of-"

"Shut up! Don't you dare presume to give me orders!" Jamil shouted. "I'll never follow another command for as long as I live! I will have my freedom!"

'Oh no…,' Devon thought as the familiar pre-Overblot vision appeared before her eyes again. This time the crystal on the magical pen was the deep crimson red of Scarabia before the ink blots dyed it black. When the vision faded, she saw that the entire dorm had somehow turned a deep red color while magical energy crackled visibly around Jamil.

And speaking of Jamil…

His skin had turned a ghastly dark grey color and a dark red flames of magic emerged from his left eye. Black ink ran down his arms and gathered at his hands to resemble gloves while his dorm uniform had changed into a flowing crimson and black outfit that was clearly reminiscent of Jafar's robes, complete with a black turban with a red feather sticking out. It took Devon a moment to notice but his gorgeous long hair had been turned into literal snakes with glowing red eyes and mouths. To top it all off, a blot incarnation appeared behind him as with all the other Overblot victims, this one taking the shape of a patchwork Jafar after he demanded to be transformed into a genie.

"What in the world is that?! What's happening to Jamil?!" Kalim demanded.

"I can feel the very air around us changing," Jade observed. "This is just like what happened to Azul…"

"He's gone into Overblot!" Azul exclaimed. "With it being winter break, the chances of any backup arriving are slim. This is definitely turning into a worst case scenario."

"Wait, so Jamil's gone into dark berserker mode too?!" Grim asked.

"All this negative energy… He's gearing up for an attack! Steel yourselves, everyone!" Azul ordered.

"Come at me all at once so I can get this over with," Jamil told them. "I refuse to keep living like this."

"We need to bring him back to his senses quickly. Once his magic reserves run dry, he'll be done for," Azul reminded them.

Grim shrunk back as the genie-like monster inclined its head, appearing to glare down at them despite it not having an actual face. "E-Easier said than done! That monster's terrifying!"

"Please, Jamil! You have to return to yourself!" Kalim urged as he began powering up a spell.

"Oh no, you've got it all wrong," Jamil replied as he snapped his fingers causing a controlled whirlwind not unlike the ones Zephyr sometimes used to contain Grim to gather up the group and lift them off the ground. "I am myself and I have no need for incompetent kings or con artists!" With another snap of his fingers, the whirlwind split in two, separating Devon from the rest of the group and bringing her closer to him. She fought as hard as she could to break free, but the wind was too powerful for even Zephyr to dispel it. "I'd say it's time I sent you all on a little trip to the ends of this dimension!"

Jamil split into another peal of unhinged laughter before pantomiming swinging a golf club as hard as he could. Devon and Zephyr could only watch helplessly as Grim, Kalim, and the Octavinelle boys were flung, screaming, into the air. "Nice shot! So long, ex dorm leader Kalim!" The evil laugh started anew as he rounded on Devon, the twisted grin on his lips as he realized he finally had her to himself prompting Zephyr to crackle protectively.

Grim and the others flew through the air for quite some time, their screams barely audible over the sound of the wind whipping past them. Eventually, they began their descent toward the ground and Azul barely had enough time to cast a spell to cushion their impact before they all slammed into the ground.

"Myah… We can never catch a break around here, can we, Dev?" Grim asked as he sat up and shook his head. His eyes flew open when he didn't hear Devon respond and he looked around for her worriedly. Unfortunately he was only met with barren wasteland as far as the eye could see and he winced against the sting of an icy wind. "Dev…? Dev?! Oh crud…don't tell me she's still back there with him…"

"That seems to be the case," Azul replied. "I seem to recall Jamil separating Devon from the rest of us before he banished us here."

Floyd barely suppressed a shiver. "Brrr... Dang, it's cold. I feel like we're trapped under the ice floes back home."

Jade, meanwhile, was busily trying to rouse Kalim, who had yet to show any signs of consciousness. "Kalim, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"Rgh…Urgh…," Kalim grunted as he opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around in confusion before focusing on Jade. "What's going on? Where are we?"

Jade smiled. "Ah, good. You're awake. It would appear that we've been flung to the edge of the dimension that contains Scarabia."

"Grim has plenty of thick fur to keep him warm and us merfolk have a degree of innate resistance to the cold, but Kalim could end up in serious trouble if he remains exposed to these frigid temperatures for too long," Azul said.

"I agree, but I'm afraid our options are limited. We do not have any brooms or carpets to fly out on," Jade pointed out.

"It'll be a slog, for sure, but it looks like walkin's the only way back," Floyd chimed in.

"We spent quite a bit of time in the air before we crashed," Azul said. "It could take hours-maybe even days-to return to the dorm on foot." He sent Floyd a sidelong look. "…And I can't take another minute of you with that ridiculous voice, Floyd. I'm tearing up the contract to annul it and get you your original voice back."

Floyd pouted and crossed his arms. "Awww… But I like soundin' all tough and baritone."

Azul merely rolled his eyes and tore up the contract without another word, causing Floyd's throat to glow briefly.

"Mm… Ah, ah…," Floyd smiled after doing a quick voice check. "Yep, back to normal."

"I must admit, I'm rather impressed that you were willing to put up your own Unique Magic as collateral for a contract with Azul," Jade said. "I can't say I could ever bring myself to do the same; I'd be too worried that he'd keep inventing excuses to hold onto it indefinitely."

"Yeah, I wouldn't put that past him," Floyd agreed. "But I didn't really care if I got my magic back or not. If I got sick of the voice, I could just change the contract terms to somethin' else."

"I'm standing right here, you know," Azul huffed.

Their discussion was placed on the backburner as Kalim's sniffles and hiccups caught their attention. "Jamil…," Kalim choked out between sobs. "I can't believe this… I trusted him…"

"You know your tears are gonna freeze if you keep cryin' like that, Sea Otter," Floyd pointed out.

"B-But it's all my fault!" Kalim said as he wiped his tears away. "I drove Jamil to the brink without even realizing it. Don't you see? The real Jamil would do anything so underhanded. He's a good guy. He's always helped me and given me a shoulder to lean on and-"

"Would a "good guy" knock his friends clear into another area code?" Grim interjected.

"H-Huh…?" Kalim asked, not expecting such a blunt rebuttal.

"Aha ha ha ha!" Floyd laughed. "Dang, Sealie! Didn't know you could be so brutal. That's the kinda thing I'd expect Shrimpy to say!"

"Heh. Well you know what they say about pets taking after their owners," Jade concurred with an amused smile.

"I ain't no pet!" Grim protested.

"I gotta agree with ya, though," Floyd said before turning to Kalim. "You're like…too nice, Sea Otter. It's kinda annoying, if I'm bein' honest."

"Wha- Annoying?" Kalim repeated, flabbergasted.

"Indeed," Jade agreed, his smile growing twisted. "Why, if I'd been betrayed as brutally as you were, I would use every word in my lexicon to break them mentally and emotionally before binding them and dragging them beneath the waves. It's more than a tad galling to see you stand there and try to excuse Jamil's behavior while blaming yourself."

"But it's true!" Kalim protested. "Jamil would never betray me. Never!"

"Uh, I dunno how to tell you this but…he just did," Floyd retorted. "He was tryin' to make you out to be the bad guy here and get you expelled. The guy sucks, plain and simple."

"I doubt even Azul is capable of being that underhanded," Jade added. "That's a rather impressive feat, actually. I think you can safely call him a traitor to his face with all due confidence."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?" Grim mumbled to himself.

"It seems your natural reaction is to laugh off most conflict with a flippant word or two," Azul observed. "To individuals as twisted-ah, I mean, as calculating as Jamil and myself, those sorts of remarks come across as more condescending than helpful. I'd say you've been pushing Jamil around since your formative years, behaving like that." His lips quirked upward into a condescending smile of his own. "Not that it's your fault in the least, naturally. You were fortunate enough to be born into a very high social class that set you above most everyone. You grew up basking in the love of your family and those around you, which resulted in you growing into a person of honesty and integrity. An upbringing like yours would make anyone take certain things-and certain people-for granted."

"I would argue that Kalim's naturally innocent disposition is also partly to blame here," Jade pointed out.

Kalim was quiet for a moment as he mulled over everything that had happened over the past half hour, the pieces slowly clicking into place. "So…Jamil is…a bad guy?"

"Did it really take you this long to figure that out?" Grim asked, shooting Kalim an unamused look.

Kalim nodded resolutely. "In that case, we need to get back to Scarabia as fast as we can. I want to look him in the eye, call him a traitor, and punch him right in the face! I owe him that much, at least."

"One measly punch ain't enough! I say you make him march to the oasis and back ten times!" Grim suggested.

"We can worry about Jamil's punishment once we bring him back to his senses," Azul pointed. "If we delay for too long, his life will be in danger. I'm growing rather concerned for Devon's safety too; I'd rather not leave her alone with Jamil while he's in this state."

Kalim blinked. "I was wondering why Jamil didn't send her along with us, but isn't Devon safer back at Scarabia than out here in this cold?"

"In normal circumstances, yes, but Jamil separated Devon from us for a reason," Azul replied. "He's definitely attracted to her, if the way he kept getting distracted during our mancala game last night was any indication, and he didn't seem especially happy about all the attention she was giving you today, Kalim."

"Oh… I had no idea he was interested in her. I guess it makes sense that he would want to keep her with him, but why would that make you worried for her safety?" Kalim asked.

"You really are naïve, huh. Sea Otter?" Floyd commented.

"Jamil has some level of feelings for Devon and he's jealous of the growing bond between the two of you," Jade explained. "He might have been able to keep a lid on his envy and resentment in normal circumstances, but now that he's gone into Overblot, his restraint will be virtually nonexistent."

"Shrimpy's got plenty of fight in her, but I doubt she'll be able to fend Sea Snake off on her own for very long, even with her blessing," Floyd mused. "Especially considering that he can use his Unique Magic to make her do whatever he wants."

Kalim's eyes narrowed into an uncharacteristically anger look. "I don't like what you're implying. Jamil would never-"

"We don't like what we're implying either, we assure you," Azul interrupted. "Regardless, we need to take all possible scenarios into account." He sighed and shook his head. "As someone who was able to come out of an Overblot, I can tell you that you aren't yourself when you're in that state. Ordinarily, I would never resorted to physical violence to get rid of someone causing me problems, but I was so angry with Devon at that point…" He shuddered. "I can't remember what exactly happened during my Overblot, but I saw the state Devon was in afterward. If her brothers hadn't intervened when they did, I would have killed her that day. I doubt I'd have been far behind her, either, considering her blessing is what brought me back."

"B-But…But that's you," Kalim argued weakly. "Jamil isn't the kind of guy to-"

"If I may, blindly trusting Jamil is what got you into this mess, Kalim," Jade reminded him. "Maybe you're right and Jamil's self-restraint is top notch even in the midst of an Overblot, but we aren't willing to gamble with Devon's safety by assuming that."

"Right!" Grim agreed, punching the air with his paw. "So let's get back to Scarabia already. I've got a henchman to save!"

Kalim finally nodded in agreement. "Right. I need to make sure all my other residents are safe too. Jamil may have thrown me out but as far as I'm concerned, I'm still the dorm leader!"

"Glad we're all on the same page, but now we're right back at square one," Floyd commented. "How're we supposed to get back? Powerwalkin'?"

"My nose is gonna freeze if we stay out here much longer!" Grim complained.

"If there was a river somewhere around here, we could just swim back, but it seems they've all long since dried up," Jade observed.

Kalim tilted his head inquisitively. "So…you're saying you need some water to get us back?"

"That's right," Azul replied. "Jade and Floyd can easily outpace brooms when they're in their true forms. Having said that, restoring a dried-up river is a tall order, even for me-"

"I can do it!" Kalim interjected cheerfully, much to the Octatrio's collective shock.

"Oh right! You did that back at the oasis!" Grim recalled, hopping onto Kalim's shoulder.

"Mmhmm! My Oasis Maker spell lets me produce tons of water for just a tiny bit of magic," Kalim explained to Azul and the twins. "If I make you guys a river, you can get us back to Scarabia, right?"

"Hold on. That's your Unique Magic?!" Azul exclaimed incredulously. "That's absolutely insane!"

"Ah ha ha! Thanks, but I dunno about that," Kalim replied. "It's pretty useless these days since so many places have running water."

Azul narrowed his eyes. "Don't you "ah ha ha" me! Do you have any idea what kind of boon that kind of power would be to countries that don't have that sort of infrastructure?! You'd be nothing short of a hero to those people. Just… Just…think of the marketing!"

Jade cleared his throat. "Why don't we leave Azul to his get-rich-quick schemes for the moment? Kalim, if you wouldn't mind…"

"Yeah! I'm on it!" Kalim agreed eagerly.

Once Kalim cast his spell, Oasis Maker made quick work of the dried-out river bed. After only a few minutes, the water was deep enough for Jade and Floyd to dive in, reverting to their eel forms once they resurfaced.

"Dang! I ain't never seen a riverbed fill up like this before!" Grim exclaimed, gaping.

"Let's not waste any more time, Floyd. We need to get moving before all this freezes over," Jade said. He turned and nodded to Azul and Grim. "Azul, Grim, grab hold of my back."

Floyd grinned at Kalim. "And you're ridin' with me, Sea Otter!"

"Wait a sec. Azul's a merman too, ain't he? How come he's not swimmin' on his own?" Grim asked.

Jade smirked and cast a side-long look at Azul. "Azul isn't a fast swimmer, even in his mer form."

Azul huffed and crossed his arms. "Yes, well, not all of us can be blessed with powerful tailfins like yours. Now let's get back to Scarabia!"

Ending Notes: We're going to check in on Devon in the next chapter, but I want to make one thing clear right now: despite the Octavinelle boys catastrophizing in this chapter, Devon is perfectly safe back in Scarabia-as safe as she can be in that situation, anyway. It's true that Jamil's self-restraint is much lower now, but all that really means for Devon is that he has no reservations about getting in her personal space. He's also going to be much more talkative and open about his feelings-toward her, toward Kalim, toward Azul and Ace (Yes, he is aware of Ace's crush. No, he does not approve.) and everything, really.

A friend of mine brought up something funny about Devon, Malleus, and Maleficia the other day and it's been living rent free in my head ever since: Maleficia has no problem whatsoever with Malleus and Devon getting together, but she's still known Devon for her entire life and has most likely (via her visits and correspondence with the family) been privy to everything Devon and her brothers got up to as children. So when Malleus gushes to her about his precious child of man (and we all know he does to anyone who will listen), all Maleficia can see is a little six-year-old Devon falling face-first onto the kitchen floor after trying to climb to the top of the fridge to snag the cake Elena had just finished icing. Maleficia knows Devon's older and (presumably) wiser now and she has all faith that Devon would make a competent and compassionate ruler, but she still sometimes finds herself thinking, 'This is going to be Briar Valley's next queen…'

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!