Ever Never After | The School for Good and Evil Fanfiction

Chapter 13: Party in Room Sixty-Nine

Alma sat alone in the empty dining hall, devouring a miniature meat pie, baked aubergine, and mint lemonade. She'd almost fainted in Professor Dovey's office, having been too lightheaded from the lack of food. The Good dean's grandmotherly side had taken over, and she'd promised to end Yuba's punishment and given Alma written permission to get a late meerworm-free lunch from the kitchen.

Alma was hoping to find Sophie in room sixty-six and not the Doom Room that evening, but her hopes were dashed upon finding only Hester, Anadil, and Dot. She went from jumping spider to human, scaring the fart out of poor Dot again, but Alma was too focused on Sophie to laugh.

"Sorry," Alma said. "Where's Sophie?"

Hester, who was holding a bowl of murky yellow broth on her bed next to Anadil, glared at Alma.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face here, princess," she spat, tattoo twitching.

Alma held Hester's glare, unafraid. "I just want to know where Sophie is."

Hester gnashed her teeth. Anadil placed a ghost-white hand on her shoulder and looked at Alma.

"You should leave," Anadil said, "unless you want us to deal with you instead of the dean."

The three rats in her lap hissed.

"She's in the Doom Room, isn't she?"Alma said.

"Don't," Hester warned.

"Why not?" Alma said. "I'm just going to visit her. Princess's promise."

The princess and the two witches glared daggers into each other. Dot cleared her throat, breaking the tension momentarily.

"Perhaps one visit wouldn't hurt?" Dot said. "Alma isn't going to break Sophie out. Right, Alma?"

The other witches gave Dot the dirtiest of looks.

"Right," Alma said. "I'm just going to visit her. That's all."

"Then scram," Hester said.

Without another word, Alma mogrified back into a jumping spider and left. She suspected the Doom Room wasn't in either of the three towers, but somewhere on the main floor—and she was right. She found a narrow, spiraling passageway downstairs, leading to a dungeon with a stream of rushing, sludgy water that ran into the sewers. Torches burned on walls lined with rusty weapons, menacing shadows dancing in the firelight. Alma's stomach turned at the sight of what really was a torture-death chamber, the smell matching it.

Then she saw Sophie. Strapped to a chair, sniffling, cheeks stained with streaks of dark makeup. Alma reverted to human and the Nevergirl perked up.

"Alma!" Sophie said. "Is that really you?"

"Yours truly," Alma said, crossing over to her. "What the hell are they doing to you?"

"What do you think?" Sophie said. "Trying to make me so Evil that I don't love you anymore."

"By strapping you to a chair?"

"It's Lesso's way of trying to prove that no one loves me enough to rescue me," Sophie said, "but I knew you would—don't touch the straps!"

"Why not?" Alma said.

"They're cursed against Evers."

Alma heaved a sigh. "This school really wants me to burn it down."

"Um, darling," Sophie said, "you're forgetting that I, too, would like to burn it down. Might be necessary to start fresh for the new school I have planned."