Soman Chainani

Then she saw Agatha. “You there! No smirking!

CALL THAT THING OFF!” Tedros yelled as he deflected Grimm’s arrows into the well with his training sword.

Tedros smiled. “One . . . two . . . three . . .”
She fainted in his arms.

“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.

Everyone’s eyes shifted to Tedros, frowning up at her.

“Well, I’m Captain of this school,” he retorted, “and I say we attack.”

Eyes shifted between him and his princess.

“Tedros, do you trust me?” Agatha said softly, looking down at him.

The silence thickened as her question hung in the air, Tedros hot beneath her gaze.

The prince broke eye contact and looked away. “Back to Valor,” he mumbled.

As Evers obeyed his orders and sullenly cleared their plates, Agatha touched his shoulder. “You did the right thi—”

“I’m going to take a bath,” he lashed. “Want to look nice for our night hiding like girls!”

She broke into a run and charged towards torture and death, wishing that someday she and Sophie would find each other in a different world, a world without princes, a world without pain, and with a terrified cry threw herself through skull-carved doors—

She lost her breath.

“Please . . .” Sophie begged, face cracking. “Don’t let me die a villain.”

Agatha shrank away from her. “You’re Evil—”

“And the Good forgive.”

Agatha froze.

“Aren’t you Good?” Sophie breathed.

“Two!”

With a gasp, Agatha clasped her hand.

“You are Good,” Sophie panted, head on Agatha’s shoulder.

“I won’t let them hurt you,” Agatha whispered, holding Sophie tight.

Sophie touched her cheek. “I wish I could say the same.”

Agatha looked at her. Sophie smiled darkly.

“I’m worse than my father.” Tedros looked up, eyes glistening. “Because I still love you.”

He pulled an arrow at her heart.

“Learned that from my favorite princess,” Sophie said softly.

Agatha crumpled to the ground in sobs.

Tedros glanced between them, dread flooding his face. Sophie unleashed a devilish smile.

“Never very good at those challenges, were you, Teddy?”

“No!” Tedros fell to his knees, grabbed weeping Agatha in his arms. She pushed him away.

“Now that’s an ending. Prince tries to kill his princess,” Sophie reveled. She picked up the daisy meant for Agatha’s heart and gave it a rapturous sniff. “Lucky Evil was here to save the day.”

From the floor, Tedros gazed up at her, heartbroken.

“Which begs the question, of course . . .” Sophie licked rotting lips.

“What happens when Evil becomes Good?”

This time, when she smiled, Tedros saw gleaming white teeth. He backed up in shock.