فصل 27

27

Promises Unkept

For a moment, no one was sure where the knock came from.

But then came another. This one louder. Someone was at the Never doors.

“The Circus is closed!” the wolf roared.

Two more knocks.

“I thought teachers were locked in their rooms,” Agatha whispered.

“So it’s not a teacher, obviously,” Kiko whispered, eyes glued to Tristan.

Agatha met Hester’s look across the aisle. Spooked, both girls turned back to the doors, shuddering from another loud knock.

“You will not be let in!” the wolf thundered.

The knocking stopped.

Agatha sighed.

Then slowly, magically, the doors creaked open all on their own.

Into the Theater of Tales slunk a figure shrouded in a black hood. Hundreds of eyes watched the stranger glide down the aisle, footsteps quiet, snakeskin cape trailing behind like a wedding train. Smoothly, silently the black shadow ascended to the stage and stood still beneath the Circus Crown, cape scales glimmering in flame light, head bowed like a bat’s.

The doors slammed shut.

Pale fingers slithered from under the cape and pulled the hood back.

Sophie glared down at her audience, nose and chin marred by warts. Patches of white speckled her dyed black hair. Her emerald eyes were now murky gray, her skin thin enough to see veins.

Slowly she scanned the crowd, taking in scared faces with a widening sneer. Then she saw Agatha, regal in blue, and lost her smile. Sophie stared at her, gray pupils clouding with horror.

“I see we have a new princess,” she said quietly. “Beautiful, isn’t she?” Agatha returned her stare, feeling no more pity, no more desire to please.

“But look closer, children, and see the vampire she is, come to suck our souls,” Sophie leered. “Since she doesn’t have one of her own.” Beneath her dress, Agatha trembled. But she withstood her withering glare until Sophie suddenly swiveled to Tedros and smiled.

“My dear Teddy! Fancy seeing you here. I believe we still have our match to finish.” “The Circus is over,” Tedros spat. “A winner has been crowned.” “I see,” Sophie said. “Then what is that?”

She stabbed her bony finger into the air and everyone looked up at the dangling Crown, still very much ungiven.

“This is bad,” Hester said to Anadil. “This is very bad.” Tedros stood up across the aisle.

“Just leave,” he growled at Sophie. “Before you make a fool of yourself.” Sophie smiled. “Scared, are you?”

Tedros puffed his chest, trying to hold himself back. He could feel Evers’ eyes on him, just like in the Clearing when Sophie exposed his promise.

“Show us, Teddy,” Sophie said sweetly. “Show me something I can’t match.” Tedros clenched his teeth, fighting his pride.

Vex suddenly noticed a burnt “TEAM EVIL” banner on the floor. His eyes sparkled with hope.

“SHOW US!” he bellowed, and jabbed Brone, who jumped in. “SHOW US! SHOW US!” Lusting to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, Nevers swept into their chorus. “SHOW US! SHOW US!” “No—stop!” Hester cried as she and Anadil spun— Villains snarled at them as if they were traitors and the two witches quickly joined the chant.

But as the Nevers’ chants grew, Tedros didn’t move. Evers shifted in their seats, impatient for their Captain to take up the challenge. All except for Agatha, who closed her eyes.

Don’t do it. It’s what she wants.

Raucous roars rang out. Agatha’s eyes shot open— Tedros was crossing onto the stage.

“No!” she screamed, but both sides’ cheers swallowed her.

Separated by six feet, Sophie smiled deliciously and the prince glowered back. Neither said a word as the Nevers’ chants turned to “EVIL! EVIL! EVIL!” while Evers countered with “GOOD! GOOD! GOOD!” Thunder rumbled in the distance and the cheers grew louder, angrier, drowning out the swelling storm. Tedros’ muscles tensed, his cheekbones chiseled, as Sophie’s smile widened. Agatha shook harder with fear, watching Sophie’s grin grow taunting, mocking, until finally the prince flushed with fury, his finger glowed gold, and just as it looked like he’d attack— He dropped to his knees.

The hall went silent in shock.

Nevers exploded in victory. Agatha went white.

With a pitying sigh, Sophie swept towards the kneeling prince. She gently took his head by its flaxen hair and peered into his scared blue eyes.

“I’ve finally been doing my own homework, Teddy. Want to see?” Tedros hardened. “Still my turn.”

He ripped out his training sword and Sophie drew back. But instead of striking her, Tedros stayed on one knee, pivoted to the aisle, thrust the blade towards the crowd— “Agatha of Woods Beyond.”

He laid down the sword.

“Will you be my princess for the Ball?”

Sophie froze. Nevers stopped cheering.

In the dead silence, Agatha tried to find her breath. Then she saw Sophie’s face, shock melting to pain. Looking into her friend’s sunken, scared eyes, Agatha slid into an old grave of darkness and doubt— Until a boy brought her back.

A boy on one knee, looking at her the way he had through goblins, coffins, pumpkins.

A boy who had chosen her long before they both knew it.

A boy now asking her to choose him.

Agatha gazed back at her prince.

“Yes.”

“No!” Beatrix cried, and vaulted to her feet.

Chaddick dropped to his knees before her.

“Beatrix, will you be my princess for the Ball?” One by one, Everboys cascaded to knees.

“Reena, will you be my princess for the Ball?” said Nicholas.

“Giselle, will you be my princess for the Ball?” said Tarquin.

“Ava, will you be my princess for the Ball?”

Boys fell in glorious rhythm, hands held out in proposal. Each girl heard her name, each girl had her gasp, until there was only one left with no one to love. Tears blinded Kiko and she wiped them away, knowing she’d be failed—only to find Tristan before her on one knee.

“Will you be my princess for the Ball?”

“Yes!” Kiko screamed.

“Yes!” said Reena.

“Yes!” said Giselle.

Through the Theater flooded waves of breathless ecstasy—“Yes!” “Yes!” “Yes!”—until the sea of love drowned even Beatrix, who mustered her best smile and took Chaddick’s hand. “Yes!” Watching across the aisles, the Nevers’ faces began to change. One by one, their scowls turned sorrowful, their eyes melted to hurt. Hort, Ravan, Anadil, even Hester . . . As if they too wished they could have such joy. As if they too wished they could feel as wanted. Gone was their will to fight, lost to broken hearts, and the villains shrank into silence, snakes drained of venom.

But one snake was still rearing.

From the stage, Sophie’s eyes never left Agatha as Tedros took her into his arms. Sophie’s pupils darkened to hot coals. Her body shivered with sweat. Black nails drew blood from her fists. From the depths of her soul, hate spewed like lava, reviving the song of her heart. With her eyes on the happy couple, Sophie raised her hands and sang at full scream. Above her, black stalactites morphed into razor-sharp beaks, cawing, shrieking with life.

All at once, ravens smashed through the ceiling and attacked everything in sight.

Children dove for cover, shielding ears as Sophie shrieked an octave higher. Fairies flew for Sophie but the ravens swallowed every but one, who barely escaped through a crack in the walls. With their paws to their ears, the wolves were just as exposed and the birds slit their throats with ruthless speed. The white wolf grabbed a young brown wolf into his arms, batted back ravens as his nose and ears bled, but the swarm dragged both wolves behind the stage and ended their fight. Just as the birds swooped to do the same to the students— Sophie stopped singing and the ravens crumbled to thin air.

Gasping with pain, everyone slowly turned to the villain onstage. Only Sophie wasn’t looking at them.

Evers and Nevers followed her eyes to the Circus Crown, swaying in midair, at last awakened to judgment. It fluttered down from above, drifting between Good and Evil, back and forth, back and forth until light as a feather, the sharp crown twirled with decision . . . and landed softly on Sophie’s head.

Her lips curled into a grin. “Don’t forget the prize.” Agatha saw streaks of white magically erase the stage behind Sophie, streaks she’d seen before— “RUN!” she screamed.

White streaks erased the walls, splashed towards the aisles as screaming students fled for doors too late— The Theater of Tales vanished in a blast of white, expelling both schools into the Good stair room. Evers smashed into pink tower staircases, Nevers into blue. As lightning and wind shattered stained glass windows, Hester and the villains fled up the Honor and Valor steps. But just as she reached the landing, Hester slid on glass and fell off the side. Dangling from the banister by one hand, she spotted Dot crawling past her— “Dot! Dot, help!”

“Sorry,” Dot sniffed, crawling ahead. “I only help roommates.” “Dot, please!”

“I live in a toilet! You girls are bullies and bad friends and you make me embarrassed to be a vil—” “DOT!”

Dot grabbed Hester’s hand just as it slipped.

The Evers weren’t so lucky. As they frantically crawled up Purity and Charity, Sophie sang them a searing note and the two glass staircases exploded, sending beautiful boys and girls crashing to marble. Sophie went one note higher. The foyer quaked beneath their feet, cracked like thin ice, and split open in a hundred places. Stunned Evers fell into each other and tumbled towards the yawning rifts. They tried to grip broken marble and shards of stairs, but the floor’s jagged slopes were too steep and with harrowing screams, the children careened over the edges. Just as they plunged into the cliffs, their hands found splintered horns of marble. With every last ounce of will, the Evers held on, feet kicking into deadly darkness below.

“Agatha!” Tedros screamed, leaping across rain-soaked gorges and gulfs to pull them up, growing more and more distraught.

“Agatha, where are you!”

Then across the room, high against a shattered window, he saw two pale hands clinging over a cliff of broken wall.

“Agatha! I’m coming!”

He bounded over rock craters, scaled broken stair pieces, higher and higher towards the marble bluff. With a lunging scissors-kick jump, he dove onto the jagged cliff top, scraped through glass, and grabbed her hand over the opposite edge— Sophie pulled herself up to face him.

Tedros backed up in horror, only to find the cliff’s edge, Evers crying for help below.

“So if princes rescue princesses, now I wonder . . . ,” Sophie said, Circus Crown sparkling on rain-soaked hair. “Who rescues princes?” “You promised—” Tedros stammered, searching for an escape. “You promised you’d change!” “Did I?” Sophie scratched her skull. “Well. We both made promises we won’t keep.” With a scream, she unleashed her highest note yet.

The prince crumpled to his knees. Watching him whimper in pain, Sophie went a note higher. Paralyzed, Tedros felt his nose bleed, his ears sizzling. Sophie slowly leaned in and put a finger to his quivering lips. Then she smiled into his shocked blue eyes and delivered the death note— Agatha tackled her against the open window, sending her crown flying into the storm.

Bloodied and weak, Tedros tried to help her, but Agatha glared back at him. “Save the others!” “But—”

“Now!” Agatha yelled, pinning Sophie tighter against the window.

Mustering all his strength, Tedros leapt off the cliff for his stranded classmates. Hearing his cry below, Agatha turned from Sophie to make sure he was safe. Sophie swiftly kicked out her leg and Agatha smashed face-first into the windowsill.

She staggered up, nose bloody.

“Lady Lesso was right,” Sophie said, standing to face her. “You get stronger as I get weaker. You win as I lose. You’re my Nemesis, Agatha.” Sophie stepped towards her. “Do you know how I know?” Her face darkened with sadness.

“Because I’ll only be happy when you’re dead.” Agatha backed against the window, trying to make her shaking finger glow.

Four flights up, Hester, Anadil, and Dot tore through Honor’s halls, screams and thunder echoing below.

“The Circus Crown was given!” Hester shrieked, throwing open faculty doors. “Where are they?” She swerved around the corner and found out.

Professor Anemone, Professor Dovey, and Professor Espada were frozen midrun, mouths wide open, as if they’d been ambushed by a spell just as they dashed for the stair room.

“Hester . . .”

Hester followed Anadil’s eyes out the hall window. On Halfway Bridge, lightning lit up Lady Lesso, Professor Sheeks, and Professor Manley, frozen still with the same startled expressions.

“Can we revive them?” Dot asked, paling. “It’s just a Stun Spell.” “It isn’t a Stun Spell.” Anadil tapped on Professor Dovey’s skin, which made a thin, hollow sound.

“Petrification,” Hester said, remembering Lesso’s class. “Only the one who cast the spell can reverse it.” “But who?” Dot squeaked.

“Someone who doesn’t want teachers interfering,” Anadil said, eyeing the silver tower over the bay.

Dot shook. “But that—that means—”

“We’re on our own,” said Hester.

On a stormy marble island raised above the demolished foyer, Agatha faced off alone against Sophie.

“We don’t have to be enemies, Sophie,” she begged, trying to ignite her finger behind her back.

“You made me like this,” Sophie breathed, sparkling with tears. “You took everything that was mine.” Agatha saw Tedros and Evers crawling through rubble, convulsing from pain and fear. Through flashes of lightning, she saw Nevers watching them from towers across the Bay, quavering with the same expressions. Agatha’s heart hammered. It was all up to her now.

“We can find a happy ending here,” she pleaded, feeling her finger turn hot behind her. “We can both find a happy ending.” “Here?” Sophie smiled thinly. “What happened to going home, Aggie?” Agatha stuttered for an answer—

“Ah, I see,” Sophie said, grinning wider. “Now you have a ball to attend. Now you have a prince.” “I just wanted to be friends, Sophie,” Agatha said, eyes welling. “That’s all I ever wanted.” Sophie iced over. “You never wanted to be friends, Agatha. You wanted me to be the ugly one.” Magically skin wrinkled deeper over her cheeks.

Agatha’s finger dimmed in shock. “Sophie, you’re doing this to yourself!” “You wanted me to be the Evil one.” Sophie boiled, hands gnarling to claws.

“You can be Good, Sophie!” cried Agatha, thunder drowning her out.

“You wanted me to be the witch,” Sophie said, eyes bursting blood vessels.

“It’s not true!” Agatha backed against the window— “Well, dearie,” Sophie smiled, teeth missing. “Wish granted.” “No!”

With a single push, Sophie shoved Agatha into the storm. Agatha plummeted towards the shining Bridge and instant death—Tedros screamed— A fairy flung himself under and caught Agatha with life-draining will. As he lay her safely down to flooded stone, Bane silently thanked Agatha of Gavaldon for all the Good she’d done. Then as she took her first breath, he took his last and died in her wet, open palm.

As lightning lit up the tower, Sophie looked down at Agatha, whose face was white with shock. Across the Bay, Sophie saw Nevers staring back at her, chilled to the bone. She spun to Tedros and the Evers, huddled in corners below, while Hester, Anadil, and Dot gaped in terror from the stairs.

Heart echoing the thunder, Sophie picked up a shard of glass and wiped away the rain.

Her drenched hair was completely white. Her face was spotted with swollen black warts. Her eyes bulged black as a crow’s.

She stared into the spattered glass, frozen with panic.

But then, as Sophie looked into her mirror, panic slowly melted away and her face twisted with a strange relief, as if at last she could see beyond her reflection to what lay inside.

Her rotted lips curled into a smile, then a laugh of freedom . . . louder, higher . . .

Sophie threw down the glass, threw back her head, and unleashed a horrible cackle that promised Evil, beautiful Evil too pure to fight.

Then all at once, her eyes veered down to Agatha. With a monstrous scream of warning, she swept into her cape of snakes and vanished into night.