“Do the part around her mouth last, Lesso dear,” said Dovey over Professor Anemone’s muffled shouts. “I could do without hearing Emma speak until absolutely necessary.”

Dovey’s silver bun of hair and beetle-winged, green gown were drenched, no doubt the result of having been freed from her own ice tomb. Yet, her smile was as luminous as ever, as if she’d forgotten her frozen torment the moment she was reunited with her friend and fellow Dean.

Meanwhile, in the back corner of the misty blue pit, Agatha could make out a new addition to the Brig—Aric, tied up and gagged, thrashing on the dungeon’s deep, snow-coated floor. Despite his muscles and height, there was nothing intimidating about him now as he whimpered and shivered on his side, “CREEP” still scarred into his forehead.

“Mother, please!” he garbled into his gag, but Lady Lesso ignored him.

“Couldn’t we seal him in his dormitory, like we did the other Evil teachers?” Professor Dovey asked, frowning at her sputtering wand. “We just need to keep them out of the way until the war is won—”

“Aric will stay in the Brig,” said Lady Lesso.

“Mother, I’m sorry!” he cried, trying to chew through his gag, but Lady Lesso still wouldn’t look at him.

“He is your son, even if he is vile,” Professor Dovey appealed. “And to leave your son in the Brig all alone seems rather—”

“I’m beginning to doubt my decision to free you,” Lady Lesso snapped.

Professor Dovey pursed her lips and refocused on melting the tomb, only to see her wand fizzle again. “Goodness, what did Merlin do to my wand? If I hadn’t been frozen stiff, I’d never have let that rodent take it from me—”

“Then I would have taken it from you myself,” said Lady Lesso, tightening her braid.

Professor Dovey stared at her.

“Who do you think let the rodent in the Brig, Clarissa? Who do you think showed it where you were!” Lady Lesso groaned. “Really, I hope old age doesn’t sap my brain as much as it has yours.”

“If it does, I’ll be there to remind you what you just said, dear.”

“You’ll be dead, Clarissa.”

The sound of the two Deans bantering made Agatha want to run to them and tackle them both in a hug, but her arms were still numb and her body crumpled on the floor, too weak to kick open or pound on the door. She tried to scream, but no voice came out, clotted inside her throat.

Helpless, she watched her Good fairy godmother lean over the side of the pit with Lady Lesso and finally pull Professor Anemone from her ice grave, while Aric flailed and sniveled below.

“I still don’t see how a Beautification professor is going to help us during war,” Lady Lesso panted, as she and Professor Dovey heaved their colleague onto the stone stage before collapsing on their sides.

“Emma is a friend, Lady Lesso,” Clarissa puffed, dabbing at sweat. “A friend who actually had the courtesy of telling me her first name.”