At 8:00 p.m. on the night before the Ball, the students entered the Theater of Tales to see it had been fully enchanted for the occasion. Above each side floated a chandelier of ten swan-shaped candles, burning white over Good and blueblack over Evil. Between them hovered the steel Circus Crown, brilliant in flame light with seven long, sharp spires, awaiting the night's winner.
Evergirls arrived first, primed for their Ball proposals in colorful evening gowns and nervous smiles. As they entered the west doors, waving flags with white swans and banners blaring TEAM GOOD!, glass flowers spritzed them with fragrance and crystal friezes came to life.
"Greetings, fair maiden, will your talent win us the Crown?" puffed a crystal prince as he fought a dragon spewing scalding mist.
"I hear this Sophie child is quite formidable. Can you defeat her?" interjected a crystal princess next to him on a glittering spinning wheel.
"I didn't make the team," Kiko admitted.
"Always one who's left behind," the prince said, stabbing the dragon through.
Through the east doors, roaring Nevers shoved in, waving hideous signs scrawled TEAM EVIL! while Hort flapped a black swan flag so eagerly it broke stalactites off the ceiling, sending Nevers stampeding for cover. As he lunged for a seat, Hort took in the scorch marks on walls, contorting to shadows of monsters eating peasants and witches cooking children, while nearby pew friezes had come alive, with woodcut princes shrieking as carved villains stabbed them, spurting black sap everywhere.
"Who did all this?" he goggled, splattered with sap.
"The School Master," Ravan said, plugging his ears from the shrieks. "No wonder he doesn't let teachers in."
Meanwhile, as the last Nevergirls and Everboys arrived, herded by wolves and fairies, they too felt the thrill of a room without adults. Only Tedros looked unimpressed, the last to limp through in creamy white breeches, chest gashed through the undone laces of a royal blue shirt. Face sprinkled with angry scratches, he scanned the Evers seats for someone, then slumped with disappointment into his own.
Watching him, Hester tensed. "Where's Sophie?" she hissed to Anadil, ignoring Dot's glares down the pew.
"She never came back from Lesso's!" Anadil whispered.
Behind them the Ever doors opened and into the Theater glided the most beautiful princess they'd ever seen. She wore a midnight-blue gown glittering with delicate gold leaves, long velvet train trailing down the aisle. Her lustrous ebony hair was swept up high with a tiara of blue orchids. Around her neck was a ruby pendant that dripped over fair skin like blood on snow. Her big dark eyes flaunted gold shadow, her lips a dewy rose sheen.
"A bit late in the term for new students," Tedros said, ogling.
"She's not new," said Chaddick next to him.
Tedros tracked his stare to black clumps peeking beneath the gown and choked.
Smiling slyly, Agatha passed Beatrix, who turned to stone, boys who dribbled into their laps, girls who suddenly feared for their Ball dates, and nestled in next to Kiko, whose eyes were wide enough to pop.
"Black magic?" Kiko peeped.
"Groom Room," Agatha whispered, spotting Sophie's empty seat. And Y/n's. She was confused—where had she gone? Agatha knew she was avoiding her roommates like the plague, but surely she would have been present for something this big, what with her being the top Never and all.
Well. Before she stopped going to class.
She saw Tedros noticing it too. He looked back and his big blue eyes met hers.
YOU ARE READING
Never After (School for Good and Evil x Reader)
FanfictionBOOK 1 OF SGE x READER SERIES *** "Is there a reason you're talking to me right now?" he asked. "Or are you just trying to get me out of the way?" I scowled, all nervousness falling away. "If I wanted to do that, you would have been long gone by now...
