Wizard's First Rule

Rachel went on, through the big storeroom with all the columns. Barrels were on one side, all piled up in rows on top of one another; boxes and crates and sacks were stacked up on the other side. The room smelled damp and musty, and she could always hear mice scratching about. She went down the middle, past the lamps hung on the side of columns, to the heavy door at the other end. The iron strap hinges creaked when she strained and pulled on the iron ring and opened the door. Rust from the ring got on her hands, so she wiped them on the stone. Another big door to the right led to the dungeon. She went up the stairway. It was dark, with only one torch at the top, and she could hear water go plink, plink, plink and echo. Through the door at the top that stood open a crack, she went down the stone block halls like the wind that was always in them. She was too scared to cry. She wanted Sara to be safe, with her, and away from here

On the top floor, at last, she peeked her head around the door, looking up and down the hall that ran past Princess Violet's room. The hall was empty. Tiptoeing across the carpet with the pictures of the boats on it, she reached the entryway set back from the hall. She snuck into it, checking the.hall again. Carefully, she opened the door a sliver. The room was dark. She slipped in and shut the door tight.

There was a fire in the fireplace, but no lamps were lit. She sneaked across the floor, feeling the fur rug on her bare feet. She got down on her hands and knees and crept into her sleeping box, and pulled the blanket back with one hand. She gasped. Sara wasn't there. She felt just as if a cold wind had blown across her skin.

"Looking for something?" It was Princess Violet's voice.

For a minute, she couldn't move. She started to breathe hard, but she kept the tears from coming. She couldn't let Princess Violet see her cry. She backed out of the box and saw there was a black form standing in front of the fire. It was the Princess. She took a step forward, away from the fireplace, toward Rachel. Her hands were behind her back. Rachel couldn't see what she had.

"I was just coming up to get in my box. To go to sleep."

"Is that so." Rachel could see better in the dark now, could see the smile on Princess Violet's face. "You wouldn't happen to be looking for this, would you?"

She slowly pulled her hands out from behind her back. She had Sara. Rachel's eyes went wide and she suddenly felt like she had to go potty.

"Princess Violet, please…" she whined. Her hands reached out, pleading.

"Come here, and we'll talk about it"

Rachel stepped slowly to the Princess, stopping in front of her, twisting her finger in the hem of her dress. The Princess suddenly slapped her, harder than she had ever slapped her before. It was so hard that it made Rachel give out a little scream as she was knocked a step backward. She put her left hand over the stinging pain. Tears welled up in her eyes. She jammed her fist into her pocket, determined that she would not cry this time.

The Princess stepped to her and hit her across the other cheek with the back of her hand. Her knuckles hurt more than the first slap. Rachel gritted her teeth and clutched her fist around something in her pocket to keep from letting the tears come.

Princess Violet stepped back to the fireplace. "What did I tell you I would do if you ever had a doll?"

"Princess Violet, please don't…: She was shaking because her face hurt so much, and because she was so scared. "Please, let me keep her? She's no harm to you."

The Princess laughed her awful laugh. "No. I'm going to throw it in the fire, just like I told you I would. To teach you a lesson. What's her name?"

"She doesn't have a name."

"Well, no matter, she'll burn just as well."

She turned around to the fire. Rachel's fist was still clutched around the thing in her pocket. It was the magic fire stick Giller had given her. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it.

"Don't you dare throw my doll in the fire or you'll be sorry!"

The Princess spun around. "What did you say? How dare you speak to me in that tone of voice. You're just a nobody. I'm a Princess."

Rachel touched the magic fire stick to the doily on a small round marble table next to her. "Light for me," she whispered.

The doily burst into flames. The Princess's face looked surprised. Rachel touched the fire stick to a book on a short marble table. She looked quickly to the Princess's eyes to make sure she was watching, then whispered again, and with a roar it, too, burst 'into flames. Princess Violet's eyes were wide. Rachel picked up the book by a corner and threw it in the fireplace while the Princess watched her. Rachel spun around, took a step, and put the fire stick against the Princess.

"Give me my doll, or r 1l burn you up."

"You wouldn't dare…:

"Right now! If you don't, I'll set you on fire, and your skin will burn up."

Princess Violet pushed the doll at her. "Here. Please, Rachel, don't burn me. I'm afraid of fire."