Curse of the Wickeds (The Cinderella Society, Episode 2) by Kay Cassidy Page A
Authors: Kay Cassidy
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“Her strength is that she’s easy to talk to and people respect her. She’s one of the few people who could go back and forth between Reggie groups to connect them.”
“So they’re not just targeting people who have something they want,” I said. “They’re getting rid of anything that poses a threat to them keeping the Reggies isolated.”
I grabbed my notebook from the office. Two more pieces of the puzzle went on my list.
4 - Keep the Reggies isolated
5 - Eliminate any strength that poses a threat
Paige made another column on the board called THREATS as Sarah Jane passed her the cards for people with strengths that could threaten the Wickeds’ power. People who were connectors (like Corrine), people known for voicing their opinions no matter what the opposition, go-getters who craved success the way the Wickeds craved power. If a target could change the status quo, she was a threat to the Wickeds. The status quo was their friend.
But Heather didn’t fit in that category. Her strength wasn’t a threat to the Wickeds, it was something they wanted to exploit. I added a sixth puzzle piece to my list.
6 - Exploit any strengths that can be used to their advantage
When they’d separated out everyone they could, Paige turned back to me. “That’s huge stuff right there,” she said. “All this and you got through to Heather too?”
I gave them the scoop about Heather’s meltdown, leaving out the more personal details about her and Cameron bonding over their dads.
“I was worried it might be something like that,” Paige said. “A few years ago, the Wickeds got a picture of someone in a compromising position with a substitute teacher.”
Sarah Jane’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “A teacher ? Geez, I’m naïve about people.”
“Better naïve than photographed,” I said. “Heather’s pretty sure they’re looking for something at school. Maybe under it? What would the Wickeds want underneath a school?”
Paige tapped her pen on her thigh. “Nothing I’d give any merit to.”
“Meaning?”
“There are rumors about a vault under the school, but no one’s ever confirmed it.”
I thought back to the day of the water main break. Grandma Aniston showing up with Principal Zimmer and the other power women in tow. Lexy looking way too excited about the hole the workers dug before being turned away. Now it made sense. “Who fixed the water main break?”
Paige sighed. “You don’t have the clearance, Jess.”
“Then what’s in the vault?”
“No one knows,” Sarah Jane chimed in. “But if the Wickeds are trying to find it . . .” She looked at Paige.
Paige shook her head. “I don’t have that kind of clearance either. Let it go, Jess. You did a good job getting through to Heather. Now we know for sure that blackmail is part of their arsenal. That gives us more to go on.”
I didn’t agree it was enough or that I should drop it. “How can I not have clearance? I’m the new leader. You’re the ones who gave me the mission in the first place.” Did they choose me as the new leader because they thought they could use me as their puppet? That I’d do whatever they said, no questions asked, just because I was grateful to be selected in their big “break with tradition”?
“Yes, we did and, like you said, mission accomplished,” Paige said. “There’s more going on here than just your mission, Jess. If we’re going to stop the Wickeds, we need to do it across the board. One person at a time won’t get us there fast enough.”
“But they still want Heather. Lexy said she’s going to test her.”
“That’s Heather’s cross to bear. You can’t always fight other people’s battles for them.”
“But I can help. Isn’t that the point?” I looked from one Sister to the other. “Or are we just doing spy work here?”
“Of course we want to help Heather,” SJ soothed. “Paige just means we need to look at the big picture and figure out how best to
“So they’re not just targeting people who have something they want,” I said. “They’re getting rid of anything that poses a threat to them keeping the Reggies isolated.”
I grabbed my notebook from the office. Two more pieces of the puzzle went on my list.
4 - Keep the Reggies isolated
5 - Eliminate any strength that poses a threat
Paige made another column on the board called THREATS as Sarah Jane passed her the cards for people with strengths that could threaten the Wickeds’ power. People who were connectors (like Corrine), people known for voicing their opinions no matter what the opposition, go-getters who craved success the way the Wickeds craved power. If a target could change the status quo, she was a threat to the Wickeds. The status quo was their friend.
But Heather didn’t fit in that category. Her strength wasn’t a threat to the Wickeds, it was something they wanted to exploit. I added a sixth puzzle piece to my list.
6 - Exploit any strengths that can be used to their advantage
When they’d separated out everyone they could, Paige turned back to me. “That’s huge stuff right there,” she said. “All this and you got through to Heather too?”
I gave them the scoop about Heather’s meltdown, leaving out the more personal details about her and Cameron bonding over their dads.
“I was worried it might be something like that,” Paige said. “A few years ago, the Wickeds got a picture of someone in a compromising position with a substitute teacher.”
Sarah Jane’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “A teacher ? Geez, I’m naïve about people.”
“Better naïve than photographed,” I said. “Heather’s pretty sure they’re looking for something at school. Maybe under it? What would the Wickeds want underneath a school?”
Paige tapped her pen on her thigh. “Nothing I’d give any merit to.”
“Meaning?”
“There are rumors about a vault under the school, but no one’s ever confirmed it.”
I thought back to the day of the water main break. Grandma Aniston showing up with Principal Zimmer and the other power women in tow. Lexy looking way too excited about the hole the workers dug before being turned away. Now it made sense. “Who fixed the water main break?”
Paige sighed. “You don’t have the clearance, Jess.”
“Then what’s in the vault?”
“No one knows,” Sarah Jane chimed in. “But if the Wickeds are trying to find it . . .” She looked at Paige.
Paige shook her head. “I don’t have that kind of clearance either. Let it go, Jess. You did a good job getting through to Heather. Now we know for sure that blackmail is part of their arsenal. That gives us more to go on.”
I didn’t agree it was enough or that I should drop it. “How can I not have clearance? I’m the new leader. You’re the ones who gave me the mission in the first place.” Did they choose me as the new leader because they thought they could use me as their puppet? That I’d do whatever they said, no questions asked, just because I was grateful to be selected in their big “break with tradition”?
“Yes, we did and, like you said, mission accomplished,” Paige said. “There’s more going on here than just your mission, Jess. If we’re going to stop the Wickeds, we need to do it across the board. One person at a time won’t get us there fast enough.”
“But they still want Heather. Lexy said she’s going to test her.”
“That’s Heather’s cross to bear. You can’t always fight other people’s battles for them.”
“But I can help. Isn’t that the point?” I looked from one Sister to the other. “Or are we just doing spy work here?”
“Of course we want to help Heather,” SJ soothed. “Paige just means we need to look at the big picture and figure out how best to
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