School for Good and Evil: The Successors Book One: Anastasia's Tale

Chapter Eight: Slowly Broken

Chapter Eight

Slowly Broken

The next day Anastasia strutted to class wearing a red snakeskin poncho with red gloves and black headband, paired thigh-high black boots. The top of her hair was styled in a bouffant beehive, the bottom, still down and to her shoulders now. She passed by gawking classmates feeling confident, powerful, and most of all evil. For the first time, Anastasia felt like she belonged somewhere and that she would be someone and that nothing was holding her back. Not her mother, not her professors, not her friends. She was one step closer to figuring out the riddle of her dagger. She knew that finding the courage to kill Twilight was the first part, but what came next? She still felt something inside of her begging to be unleashed. In her classes Anastasia found herself paying attention, taking notes, raising her hand. In the history of villainy, she found it interesting to learn about the fearless villains that had come before her paving the way for her now. During curses and death traps she was the second-highest ranked student making her just behind Ash for class captain. Throughout uglification, Professor Manely praised Anastasia for accepting her true identity as she smothered her face with pox.

"As I say to all my students once you destroy who you think you are can you embrace who you truly are, and Ms. Woods Beyond has shown us an impeccable example of that today." Professor Manely mused.

The whole class broke into sarcastic claps and eye rolls. Meanwhile, in special talents, they worked on their gifts. Anastasia found out she could control people's actions, but with no spells, no magic, just a glance at her opponent, and she was lifting them off the ground and twisting their necks.

"Please Anastasia let me down!" Filip said as Anastasia held an invisible grip on his throat. Anastasia had no idea where this power came from, but whenever her eyes would turn red with fury she thought of all the anger she had bottled up during the years. All the fights she'd had all the people that annoyed her, but the thing that fueled her anger the most was her mother. She raised Filip higher in the air.

"Come on, Filip, use your talent!" Professor Sheeks protested.

"It's no use she's- too strong." Filip choked.

"Anastasia put him down." Professor Sheeks said and rolled her eyes.

"You're no fun." Anastasia pouted at her brother.

Filip gawked at her.

"No fun?" Filip said rubbing his neck. "I'm sorry that I can't choke you too." He said and rolled his eyes. "What has gotten into you lately Anastasia you used to be so-"

"So what Filip?"

"Nice." He sneered.

Anastasia burst into giggles.

"Being nice got me nowhere brother." She said, running her nail across his chin. Filip picked himself off the ground and pushed past her.

"You're better than this Anastasia."

For a solid second, Anastasia felt herself soften again. But as soon as Professor Sheeks started talking she turned back to stone.

"There is no time for tears when you're a villain." She thought to herself.

At lunch, Anastasia didn't sit with the group. Instead, she and Caleb sat at the back of the clearing where no one could see them and discussed the riddle. He always sat so close to her and leaned over her shoulder making her face flush red.

"Uh, maybe we can talk about this later." She said blushing as she inhaled his cologne.

"Of course Anastasia." He said reaching over her to grab the scroll they were writing on.