I had no idea why lunch was a joint-school activity, because Evers sat with Evers, Nevers sat with Nevers, and both groups pretended the other wasn't there.
Lunch took place in the Clearing, an intimate picnic field outside the Blue Forest gates. To get to the Clearing, students had to journey through twisty tunnels of trees that grew narrower and narrower, until one by one the children spat through a hollowed trunk onto emerald grass. As soon as I came through the Evil tunnel, I followed the line of Nevers receiving rusty pails from red-suited wolves, while Evers from the Good tunnel took picnic baskets from nymphs in red hoods.
What had occurred in class was still bothering me. Peter Pan couldn't have been a villain. After all, he was just a boy. He couldn't have done all those awful things to the others.
But, if he was a villain, why had an incorrect tale been sent to Gavaldon?
Sophie and I settled beside Agatha on a nice shady patch of grass. Right as Agatha was about to bite into her sandwich, Sophie swiped it.
"You don't know what I've been through," she sobbed, scarfing it whole. "Here's yours." She plunked down a pail of gruel.
Agatha stared at her.
"Look, I asked," Sophie garbled between bites. "Apparently Nevers need to learn deprivation. Part of your training. This is lovely, by the way."
Agatha was still staring.
"What?" Sophie said.
Over Agatha's shoulder, she saw Tedros and his friends pointing and snickering.
"Oh no," Sophie groaned. "What'd you do now?"
Agatha kept gaping at her.
"If you're going to be a brat about it, you can have the soufflé." Sophie frowned. "Why is that strange imp waving at me?"
Agatha turned and saw Kiko across the Clearing, waving and flaunting newly red hair. It was the exact same color as Tristan's. Agatha's face went white.
"Um, you know her?" Sophie said, watching Kiko giddily approach Tristan.
"We're friends," Agatha said, waving Kiko away from him.
"You have a friend?" Sophie said. Agatha turned to her.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that!" Sophie yelled.
"You haven't been eating candy, have you?"
"Huh?" Sophie shrieked, realizing—her hand flew up and ripped Lesso's wart off her face—"Why didn't you tell me!" she cried, as Tedros and boys exploded into whoops.
"Ohhh, it can't get any worse," Sophie moaned.
Hort picked up her discarded wart and ran away with it.
Sophie looked at Agatha. Agatha cracked a smile.
"It's not funny!" Sophie wailed.
But Agatha was laughing and so were Sophie and I.
"What do you think he'll do with it?" Agatha sniggered.
Sophie stopped laughing. "We need to get home. Now."
Agatha told Sophie and I about all her frustrations solving the riddle, including her dead end with Professor Sader. Before she could even try to ask about his paintings, Sader had taken off to meet his Evil students, leaving three geriatric pigs to lecture about the importance of fortifying one's houses.
"He's the only one who can help us," said Agatha.
"Better hurry. My days are numbered," I grumbled and recounted everything that had happened with our roommates, including their prediction of my doom.
"You die? That doesn't make any sense. You can't be the villain in our story if we're all friends."
"That's why the School Master said we can't be friends," Sophie replied. "Something has to come between us. Something that answers the riddle."
"What could possibly come between us?" Agatha said, still at a loss.
"Maybe it's all connected. This thing that Good has and Evil doesn't. Do you think it's why Good always wins?" I said.
"Evil used to win, according to Lady Lesso. But now Good has something that beats them all," Sophie said.
"But the School Master forbade us to return to his tower," Agatha pointed out. "So the answer to the riddle isn't a word or a thing or an idea—"
"We have to do something!" Sophie exclaimed.
"Now we're getting somewhere. First, it's something that can turn us against each other. Second, it's something that beats Evil every time. And third, it's something we can physically do—"
We spun to each other. "I got it," said Agatha—
"Me too," said Sophie—
"It's so obvious."
"So obvious."
"It's—it's—"
"Yes, it's—"
"No idea," Agatha said.
"Me either," sighed Sophie.
Across the field Everboys slowly trespassed into Evergirl territory. Girls waited like flowers to be picked, only to see Beatrix attract the lion's share. As Beatrix flirted with her suitors, Tedros fidgeted on a tree stump. Finally he stood up, shoved in front of the other boys, and asked Beatrix to take a walk.
"He was supposed to rescue me," Sophie whimpered, watching them go.
"Sophie, we have the chance to save our village from a two-hundred-year-old curse, to rescue children from beatings and failings, to escape wolves, waves, gargoyles, and everything else in this awful school, and to end a story that will kill you. And you're thinking about a boy?"
"I wanted my happy ending, Aggie," Sophie said, tears sparkling.
"Getting home alive is our happy ending, Sophie."
Sophie nodded, but her eyes never left Tedros.
***
Before Surviving Fairy Tales, the students of both schools found themselves summoned to an assembly in the Clearing.
"ATTENTION."
The entire faculty fanned between the two tunnels, including Castor and Pollux, whose heads had been reunited on their canine body.
Professor Dovey stepped forward. "There's been some—"
"MOVE YOUR HIDES, YOU LAZY COWS!" Castor barked.
The last Nevers hurried from their tunnel, with Sophie and I stumbling out last. I gave Agatha a confused look across the Clearing. Agatha shrugged back.
Professor Dovey opened her mouth to resume—
"PRESENTING CLARISSA DOVEY, DEAN OF THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF GOOD DEEDS," said Castor.
"Thank you, Castor," said Professor Dovey—
"ANY INTERRUPTIONS OR MISBEHAVIOR WILL BE SWIFTLY PUNISHED—"
"THANK YOU, CASTOR!" Professor Dovey shrieked.
Castor stared at his feet.
Professor Dovey cleared her throat. "Students, we have called you here because there have been some unfortunate rumors—"
"Lies, as I call them," said Lady Lesso.
"So let us be clear," Professor Dovey continued. "First, there is no curse on Evil. Evil still has the power to defeat Good."
"Provided Evil does their homework!" Professor Manley growled.
Nevers muttered, as if they didn't believe this for a second.
"Second, the School Master is on no one's side," said Professor Dovey.
"How do you know?" Ravan shouted.
"Why should we believe you?" Hester yelled as Nevers catcalled—
"Because we have proof." Professor Sader stepped forward.
Nevers went quiet.
My eyes widened. Proof? What proof?
Then I noticed Lady Lesso looked especially sour, confirming this proof did in fact exist. Was the proof the answer to the riddle?
"Last but not least," said Professor Dovey, "the School Master's primary responsibility is to protect the Storian. For that reason, he remains in his well-fortressed tower. Thus, regardless of the tales you may hear, let me assure you: no student has ever seen the School Master and no student ever will."
Eyes fell on Agatha.
"Ah, is this the storyteller?" Lady Lesso leered.
"It's not a story!" Agatha shot back.
I shook my head at her from across the way, trying to tell her this was an ill-advised battle.
Lady Lesso smiled. "I'll give you one more chance to redeem yourself. Did you meet the School Master?"
Agatha looked at the Evil teacher, purple eyes bulging like marbles. Then at Professor Sader, smiling at her curiously. Then at me across the Clearing. I shook my head once more.
"Yes."
"You lie to a teacher!" Lady Lesso lashed.
"It's not a lie!" I shouted. Everyone turned to me. "We were all there," I said, gesturing to Sophie. "We were in his tower!"
"And I bet you saw the Storian too?" Beatrix sneered.
"Matter of fact, we did!" Sophie retorted to laughter.
"And did it start your fairy tale too?"
"It did! It did start our fairy tale!"
"All hail the Queen of Fools!" Beatrix proclaimed to roars.
"Then you must be the Grand Empress."
Beatrix turned to Agatha, arms akimbo.
"Ugh. The 'Mistake,'" Beatrix groaned. "Good has never been so wrong."
"You wouldn't know Good if it crawled up your dress!" Agatha yelled.
Beatrix gasped so loudly Tedros cracked a grin.
"Don't talk to Beatrix that way!" a voice said.
Agatha turned to find blond-haired Tristan.
"Beatrix?" Agatha exploded. "You sure you don't want Tedros? He'd love to marry himself!"
Tedros stopped smiling. Dumbstruck, he glanced between Agatha, Tristan, Beatrix . . . He lost patience and punched Tristan in the mouth. Tristan drew his dulled training sword, Tedros whipped out his, and they clashed in public duel. But Tristan had been studying Tedros in Swordplay, so they both used the exact same ripostes, the same retreats, even the same fight calls, until no one knew who was who—
Rather than intervene, Swordplay professor Espada twirled his long mustache. "We'll dissect this thoroughly in class tomorrow."
The Nevers had a more immediate response.
"FIIIIGGGHHHHHT!" Ravan roared.
Nevers rushed Evers, steamrolled stunned wolves, and dive-bombed into the dueling swordsmen. Whooping Everboys charged in, inciting an epic playground brawl that splattered Evergirls with mud. Agatha couldn't help but laugh at girls brought to their knees by dirt, until filthy Beatrix pointed at her.
"She started it!"
Screaming Evergirls charged after Agatha, who climbed a tree. Nearby, Tedros managed to reach his head from under boys and saw Sophie spring past. "Help!" he yelled—
Sophie stepped on his head as she ran to help Agatha, who was being pelted with pebbles by Beatrix.
I rolled my eyes and gripped Tedros' forearms, dragging him out of the scuffle.
"Thanks," he panted.
"Yeah, whatever."
Then I caught Sophie chasing Hort out of the corner of my eye.
"You! Give me back my wart!" Sophie yelled.
Hort scooted around the brawling mass, Sophie in pursuit. Sophie picked up a fallen branch and hurled it at his head, but it was at that moment I stuck my foot out to trip the boy, sending him to the floor.
The branch hit Lady Lesso in the face.
Students froze.
Lady Lesso touched her cold, gashed cheek. Staring at the blood on her hand, she grew eerily calm.
Her long red nail rose and pointed at Agatha.
"Lock her in her tower!"
A swarm of fairies seized Agatha and dragged her past smirking Tedros towards the Evers' tunnel.
"No, it's my fault!" Sophie cried.
"And these two." Lady Lesso stabbed her bloodstained finger at Sophie and I. "To the Doom Room."
Before either of us could scream, claws covered our mouths and pulled us past petrified classmates into the darkness of trees.
***
A gray wolf, stoic and efficient, tugged Sophie and I by long chains fixed to tight iron collars around out necks. Skirting the dank sewer walls, I couldn't fight my leash; one wrong step and I'd slip off the narrow path into roaring sludge. Across the rotted black river, I saw two wolves drag moaning Vex from the direction in which we were headed. His eyes met mine, red-rimmed, hateful. Whatever happened to him in the Doom Room had left him more a villain than when he entered.
As we approached the sewer's halfway point, where sludge turned to clear lake water, I felt the wall's solid stone become rusty grating. The wolf kicked the door open and shoved us in.
I lifted my head to a dark dungeon, lit by a single torch. Everywhere I looked were tools of punishment: breaking wheel, rack, stocks, nooses, hooks, garrote, iron maiden, thumbscrews, and a terrifying collection of spears, clubs, rods, whips, and knives. My heart stopped. I turned away.
Two red eyes glowed from the corner.
Slowly a big black wolf rose from shadows, twice the size of all the other wolves. But this one had a human's body with a thick, hairy chest, sinewy arms, bulging calves, and massive feet. The Beast cracked open a scroll of parchment and read in a deep growl.
"You, Sophie of Woods Beyond and Y/n of. . .uh, just Y/n, have hereby been summoned to the Doom Room for the following sins: Conspiracy to Commit Untruth, Disruption of Assembly, Attempted Murder of a Faculty Member—"
"Murder!" Sophie gasped—
"Incitement of Public Riots, Crossing of Boundary Lines During Assembly, Destruction of School Property, Harassment of Fellow Students, and Crimes Against Humanity."
"I plead not guilty to all charges," Sophie scowled. "Especially the last."
The Beast seized her face in his claws. "Guilty until proven innocent!"
"Let go!" Sophie screamed.
He sniffed her neck. "Aren't you a luscious peach."
"You'll leave marks!"
To her surprise the Beast released her. "It usually takes beating to find the weak spot."
Sophie looked at the Beast, confused. He licked his lips and grinned.
With a cry, she lunged for the door—he slammed her to the wall and cuffed her arms to hooks above her head.
"Let her go!" I shouted.
However, moments later, I found myself in the same position as Sophie.
The Beast slunk along the wall, hunting for just the right punishment.
"Please, whatever I did, I'm sorry!" Sophie wailed.
"Villains don't learn from apologies," the Beast said. He considered a cudgel for a moment, then moved on. "Villains learn from pain."
"Please! Someone help me!"
"Pain makes you stronger," said the Beast. He caressed the tip of a rusty spear, then hung it back up.
"Help!" Sophie shrieked.
"Pain makes you grow."
The Beast picked out an ax. Sophie's face went ghost white. He walked up to her, ax handle in his meaty claw.
"Pain makes you Evil."
"Leave her alone!" I shouted.
He took her hair in his hands.
"No!" Sophie choked.
The Beast raised the ax—
"Please!"
The blade slashed through her hair.
Sophie stared at her long, beautiful gold locks on the black dungeon floor, mouth frozen open in silence. Slowly she raised her terrorized face to meet the big black Beast's. Then her lips quivered, her body hung from its chains, and the tears came. She buried her shorn, jagged head in her chest and cried. She cried until her nose stuffed up and she couldn't breathe, spit caking her black tunic, wrists bleeding against her cuffs—
A lock snapped. Sophie lifted her raw, red eyes to see the Beast unhook her from the wall.
"Get out," he growled.
Sophie scurried out the door, sobbing.
The Beast looked me up and down, analyzing.
"You gonna cut my hair too?" I asked, leaning my head against my arm where it was cuffed above.
"No." He sliced the ax through the chains and I fell forward, wrists free.
The Beast hung the ax back up. I stood in the middle of the room, arms folded, strangely calm about the whole situation.
He yanked me by the forearm to the side, where a large wooden block lay. He forced me to my knees and chained my hand to the wood.
"I'm gonna cut off your fingers."
My blood ran cold. "You can't—"
"Oh, but I can." He selected a knife from the table, caressing its blade. "How should I go about this? Should I do it all in one chop? Or should I draw out the pain, saw them off one by one?"
The Beast growled. "I quite like that idea."
I struggled as he crossed towards me, trying to get out of my binding. "If you touch me—"
"I won't. The blade will."
He grinned and raised the knife.
***
When he was done, my eyes were bloodshot from crying. He had only cut off three, but those were three appendages I could never use again. Three pieces of me he had stolen.
The stubs of my knuckles were throbbing. Each movement, no matter how miniscule, sent jolts of white-hot pain shooting up through my whole hand.
The Beast unlocked my chains and waved his hand. "Get out of here."
When he turned to put the knife back, I seized my chance. I grabbed a stray knife that was resting on the floor.
Then I sprung.
The knife sank into his shoulder, and he roared, whirling around. I jolted out of the way, dripping knife in hand, just in time.
"You witch!" He yelled, clutching the wound.
I lunged again, this time slicing his throat. The knife cut into him like butter.
He gurgled as hot blood gushed, running down the blade and soaking my hand.
"Wh–why?" he wheezed.
"You cut me, I cut you back," I growled.
Then I kicked him into the river.
The Beast thrashed in water and slime, grunting and flailing for the wall. The tides were too strong. I watched him gurgle his last breaths and sink like a stone.
The bloody knife dropped to the floor with a clang.
It was only when I was out the door that I realized my fingers had regrown.