Never After (School for Good and Evil x Reader)

Chapter 38

"Never thought I'd have a prince as a best friend," Hort motormouthed, hustling through Evil's sewers.

"Where are we going? Said you were taking me to my room," I said, steeling the nerves out of my voice as it echoed over the red mud roiling through the dank tunnels. I plodded behind him on the thin path in my sleeveless black-and-red leather uniform, bumping bulky shoulders into the wall, still unused to all the extra weight.

"Tried to make 'em bunk us together, but they already put a prince from Ginnyvale in my room," Hort said, peeping back at me. "School's strict now that the teachers are back. If you ask me, Aric and his henchmen make those old wolves look cuddly. But don't worry. I'll keep my best friend outta trouble."

I saw the sewer midpoint in the distance, the division between sludge and lake sealed by giant rocks. "But I still don't understand. Why are we down her—"

"Where is it!" Manley's voice boomed ahead, over the churning red slime.

"I showed you where I buried it," Tedros' voice insisted—

"And it's not there. As long as you keep lying, there'll continue to be no food."

"It's those girls! They're hiding in the castle!"

"Think we wouldn't know if a girl was in our castle?" Manley's voice sneered. "That pen is still somewhere in the School Master's tower, or the tower would have moved to follow it. Now tell me where you hid it, or I'll melt your father's sword and gild the toilets with it—"

"I told you! It was buried under the table!"

My heart stopped.

The Storian . . . missing?

Suddenly, placing first in the day's challenges was even more crucial. If the pen was hidden in that tower, I'd need time to find it.

Stomach churning, I followed behind Hort, skirting the sewer wall as it turned to the rusted grating of a pitch-dark dungeon cell. In the corner, Manley's bald head and bulbous shadow obscured the figure beneath him.

"Please, professor, you have to let me into the Trial," Tedros' voice begged. "I'm the only one who can beat those girls!"

"You'll die of starvation long before the Trial if we don't find that pen," Manley said, turning for the cell door. He saw me gaping at him through the grating.

"Boys don't like a liar, Peter. Tedros promises the boys he'll kiss Agatha. Promises he'll fix the schools to Good and Evil. And what do they get instead? A chance at slavery. Ain't it a wonder all the boys hate him now," Manley sneered, pulling the door open. He shoved me into the cell as he left. "Whole school's on your side today, Peter. Teach this puffed-up cockerel a lesson."

I swiveled. "Wait—"

Hort slammed the cell door. "See you in class, Filip!"

"Hort!"

The weasel was already charging after Manley, chattering with excitement. "He'll beat Tedros so bad today, professor. You'll see. . . ."

I slowly turned to the rotted dungeon lit by a single candle. A chilling collection of torture instruments hung on the walls in steel cages, over two metal bed frames without mattresses or pillows. I couldn't breathe, thinking of what happened here a year ago with the Beast. This place made me Evil. This place made me lose control. I turned away, panicked—

Two bloodshot eyes glowed from the corner.

"Is it true?" said Tedros' voice out of darkness.

"What is?" I breathed, keeping her tone low.