The Unfailing Light

The first full moon had come and gone and most of the students seemed unusually restless. Elena in particular. And the German princess as well. She seemed to spend more and more time in the library, and would glare at me if I tried to enter the room while she was there.

"Alix, what is wrong with you?" Aurora Demidova snarled the next morning as Alix stomped around trying to get dressed for breakfast.

Princess Alix glared at her but said nothing. I wanted to stay out of it. Elena was exceptionally grumpy that morning too. I followed them down to the dining room and ate my cold porridge in silence, trying to avoid the nasty looks my roommates were casting at each other throughout the meal.

The next night was even worse, as all three of my roommates were vicious and snapping at each other. Aurora accused Elena of stealing her favorite slippers. Alix accused Aurora of stealing her red hair ribbon. Everyone went to bed fuming, but no one slept. As the waning moon filled our dark room with its dim silvery light, I breathed a sigh of relief that the empress's spell was keeping everyone safe from Elena's blood thirst.

I tried to pay closer attention to Princess Alix in the coming days. I had not noticed anything besides her shy façade, but perhaps Elena had been right. The princess had seemed more agitated than usual in the past week. She still did not fit in with the rest of us. I laughed to myself, realizing that I did not really fit in here either.

The nights had continued to bring broken sleep, with loud howling noises that woke me up and then disappeared. I could not tell if it was a dream or something real. I noticed several other girls at the breakfast table were looking hollow-eyed and fatigued as well.

Erzsebet was whispering with the girls at her table, but suddenly stopped as Elena and I sat down. I caught Augusta sneaking glances at Elena several times during breakfast. Aurora took her plate and sat at the head of the table, close to the table where the headmistress and Madame Orbellani ate. Alix ate her food quietly and ignored everyone. She did not seem to be suffering quite as much as the rest of us.

"Alix, did you sleep well?" I asked. "I hope my tossing and turning did not disturb you."

She shook her head, but kept on eating daintily. Elena kicked my foot under the table. I ignored her.

Augusta was staring at her plate. Elena yawned. "You definitely kept me up."

Alix glanced at Elena, her eyebrow raised slightly. "Perhaps you should pay a visit to Sister Anna. I am sure she could find a way to help you sleep easily."

Erzsebet threw her fork down, and the clattering noise silenced every other girl in the dining room. "Why isn't the headmistress doing anything?" she cried, getting up hastily and running out.

Augusta looked horrified. She glanced toward the headmistress's table, not sure if she should go after her sister or not. Madame Tomilov's face showed no emotion as she rose calmly from her seat and left after Erzsebet. "Do you think she'll be expelled?" Augusta whispered. She was blinking back tears.

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I don't think this is serious enough for that." I had never heard of anyone being expelled from Smolny.

"Finish eating, girls. It will be time for class soon." Madame Orbellani's voice was soothing, but firm. She looked a little tired as well. I wondered how much sleep she had gotten lately.

Whether it was something Elena or Alix was doing, I needed to find out what was happening at Smolny. I remembered the presence I'd sensed in the library the past week. A chill went down my spine. Was the school haunted by a ghost? We'd never felt such a presence before. Why now, when the empress's spell was supposed to be keeping us all safe from anything supernatural?