style="font-size:15px;"> “How?” Agatha whispered. “How could he hear it?”
“Because you wanted him to,” Lady Lesso slashed, prowling towards Agatha. “From the day you left, Tedros believed one day you’d call for him. From the day you left, he and his boys hunted your village, trying to cross into Woods Beyond—until your wish finally opened the gates.”
Agatha paled, watching Lady Lesso circle her. “But your prince has to make sure his princess chooses him this time. He needs insurance you won’t repeat your mistakes. So Tedros stole the Storian from under our noses, knowing the School Master’s tower follows the pen wherever it goes. Now he’ll stop the Storian from writing ‘The End’ to your tale—until he has his new ending.”
Agatha’s stomach went cold. “What’s the new ending?” she rasped.
Lady Lesso stared through her. “Killing Sophie.”
Sophie slowly lifted her eyes, red and raw.
“Tedros believes killing Sophie will fix your fairy tale as it should have been,” said Professor Dovey. “The witch dies. The princess free to her prince. Your ending rewritten, just like Agatha wished.”
Agatha couldn’t breathe under Sophie’s scorching stare.
“Why don’t you save Tedros the trouble?” Sophie hissed. “Kill this witch yourself.”
“That would solve everything,” sighed Professor Dovey.
Both girls turned.
“Oh dear,” said their teacher. “Did I say that out loud?”
“She’ll die soon enough,” Lady Lesso snarled.
“Army?” Agatha blanched. “He has an army?”
“You’ve forgotten about his school,” said Lady Lesso.
Agatha swung her head to the window. Through the sheets of rain, she could see the red hoods skulking around Evil’s towers, in black leather uniforms crested with scarlet snakes and shiny black boots. Slowly she lowered her eyes to the gate on the castle shores, rusted iron words arched over it:
THE SCHOOL FOR BOY VENGEANCE AND RESTITUTION
“One wish has so many consequences, doesn’t it?” Lady Lesso said, leering at Agatha. “Tedros has promised whoever kills Sophie half his father’s treasure as a reward. Needless to say, both the Ever- and Neverboys took up the challenge.”
“As did all those princes outside,” Professor Dovey said, watching the filthy masses swarming the gates. “Tedros knows he can’t attack us with just his school. Our teachers wouldn’t give up Sophie without a fight.”
“So he’s using the princes to force our hand,” Lady Lesso groused. “I cast a shield around the perimeter of both schools to keep them out. But if the princes get through, Tedros will have enough men to storm our castle and kill Sophie.”
Agatha stared out at the red fortress, still numb. “The Storian’s in a boys’ school?”
“Either free it and get Sophie home alive … or kiss Tedros before he kills her.” Professor Dovey met Agatha’s shocked eyes. “Kiss your prince and mean it, and you’ll stay here with him Ever After. Sophie will be gone from your story forever … and vanish home alone.”
“Home alone?” Sophie gasped as if she’d been shot. “Gavaldon alone? While she gets … him?”
“These are the only two endings that can prevent war,” Professor Dovey said.
The only sound in the room was the echo of murderous princes.
Sophie gave Agatha a horrible look and curled back into her ball.
Tedros, Agatha gritted. How could she wish for a boy who’d take love this far? How could she wish for a boy who’d kill her best friend? Her old witchy self would never have let this happen.
“Third option,” she said, storming to the door. “Tell Tedros he’s a delusional ass.”
“No.”
Agatha turned.
“You wished for him,” Sophie spat, blotched with rage. “And you want me to trust you two alone?”
Agatha cowered. Sophie looked even more a witch than she did in the graveyard.
“I won’t intervene in your lovers’ quarrel, but I suggest Agatha make her choice soon,” Lady Lesso snapped. “Once Tedros breaks the princes through my shield, all our lives will be in danger.”
“We’ll hide you and Sophie in the Blue Forest until you have a plan,” Professor Dovey said to Agatha, pulling out a ring of keys. “None of the girls can know you’ve come.”
Agatha looked up, dazed. “Why not?”
“Because unlike your two teachers, they think this is the best thing that’s ever happened,” said a honey-smooth voice.
The two professors and two girls turned to see a tall, ravishing woman push through the door, milky smooth and full-bosomed in a teacher’s electric-blue dress decorated with a pattern of butterflies. She had a waterfall of chestnut hair to her midback, forest-green eyes under thick dark brows, a luscious pink mouth, and a gap between her two shiny front teeth.
“My brother’s office?” she said, biting her bee-stung lips. “I wasn’t aware it was where we held secret meetings.”
“It’s the only place we can’t be overheard,” Lady Lesso returned, her voice oddly tentative.
“Well I do believe I should have been alerted to our honored guests,” the woman said breathily, turning to Sophie and Agatha. “After all, they are the reason this magnificent school exists.”
The two girls gawped at her.
“We’ve been meticulously preparing for your arrival,” said the stranger, knitting her arched brows. “And we nearly may have missed it.” She flashed a glare at the two teachers.
Agatha shook her head. “But how did you know we were com—”
“Goodness, you two look frightful,” the woman said, magically restoring their faces and dresses with her finger. Only Sophie’s dress magically lost its pink color too and drained blank white.
Sophie grabbed her hem. “What happened to my—”
“Come, girls.” The woman sashayed for the door. “We’ve put your books and schedules in your room.”
“Schedules!” Professor Dovey launched to her feet. “You’re not thinking of them going to class, Evelyn!”
The woman twirled. “As long as they are at my school, they will attend class
