Ever Never After | The School for Good and Evil Fanfiction

Chapter 12: Promises

"Will she? Because I highly doubt you're telling the truth. Now that you know she was meant to kill you, why should you care about her well-being? How do I know you're not planning to kill her with one of your traps?"

Seconds of silence ticked by, growing heavier with each pause, but Alma stood her ground. The School Master respired, as if calming the fire within him.

"If you wish for Sophie to have a smooth venture in the Trial," the School Master said, "then I will ensure it."

The School Master left the Storian's table, approaching the window, which opened as he stopped shortly before it. He raised a lit fingertip, and ghostly streaks of blue emitted forth and danced into the night. Following the last vanishing remnant, the window closed, and the School Master turned around.

"There," he said. "I modified my traps as well as those of the faculty's. The Trial will be quite uneventful for Sophie. I hope you're satisfied."

Alma still didn't trust him, but she said nothing. The School Master would be keeping a close eye on her later tonight, all thanks to that nosy bastard writing needle.

When dinner arrived by stymph, Alma sat at the table to eat while the School Master continued reading her tale, probably expecting it to provide more clues to her thoughts for tonight. Alma kept a clear head, but she wondered: wasn't this guy hungry at all? He was immortal, but still.

The Storian did something that Alma hadn't thought it could do: it ceased writing, hovering above the storybook, as if it didn't know what to write next.

"Why did it stop?" Alma asked.

"The Storian pauses when it has nothing interesting to write at the moment," the School Master said. "It's normal."

He didn't move from his spot. Alma continued eating, keeping her head clear and focusing on her food. She sipped her glass of sparkling water and put it down.

"I could go for some wine," she said. "You don't happen to have any, do you?" She glanced at the standing cabinet, and she pointed to it. "Is there wine in there?"

The School Master didn't answer.

"The cabinet has wine," Alma said, "doesn't it?"

"Yes."

Taking that answer to mean permission had been granted, Alma got up and reached for the cabinet door. She pulled it open and—

The door slammed shut, jolting her back.

The School Master's eyes were as cold as ice. "I didn't say you could have any."

Alma regained her composure, and she put her hands on her hips, her own fire rekindled.

"Why not?" she said, wanting to dare him. "I think we both could use a glass, you especially. Would make you less uptight."

The School Master prowled toward her, accepting the challenge. Alma didn't move as he stopped close.

"Your sense of entitlement certainly makes you a princess," he said.

Alma laughed, crossing her arms. "Come on, just one glass. I promise I'll stop giving you a hard time."

"I have other ways of making you accomplish that."

"But wine would be the best way," Alma said, dismissing his threat. "Fun for both of us. You're the Evil twin, right? How Evil can you be when you don't want to do stuff that Good considers sinful?"

His eyes twinkled. "Ah, so we're back to Good and Evil?"

"Just saying. You seem awfully strict for someone who's supposed to be Evil. Don't you trust me?"