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

Chapter Ten: In The Darkness

Chapter Ten

In The Darkness

It was the day before the trial by tail and all the students good and evil were busy preparing for their night in the blue forest. All the other classes had been canceled and the students of evil spent their day with professor sheeks perfecting their talents. While all the children practiced their talents Caleb and Anastasia sat slumped in their chairs. Professor Sheeks wouldn't let them fight saying

"They were both much too powerful."

Anastasia smirked at this notion as she watched her classmates struggle to manifest their talents. The only ones who eventually got the hang of it were Ash and Evangeline. Ash's hands suddenly lit up a black fire coming out of them, but it wasn't burning her. She threw a fireball at the wall and scorched it black. This time professor sheeks didn't look angry but proud. Vines sprung out of Evangeline's hands and they wrapped around Ash's ankle and pulled her to the ground. Ash stood up in an angry frenzy and threw a fireball just missing Evangeline's head. Anastasia looked at her roommates in shock. They were powerful but not as powerful as she was.

"May I try?" Anastasia said from the corner of the room.

Professor Sheeks turned to her,

"Anastasia, you are much too dangerous."

Anastasia raised her eyebrow,

"They seem fully cable." She said, nodding to her roommates.

Their eyes went wide in worry.

"Don't worry I'll go easy on you." She said smiling wickedly.

"Evangeline you first," Anastasia said, pushing Ash aside.

Evangeline steadied herself in her panic and took a long exhale.

"Ready set-"

"Go," Anastasia whispered.

Sharp briars crawled out of Evangeline's hands and were headed for her throat. Anastasia's eyes flashed red and she stopped the vines just before they wrapped around her. She twisted them the opposite way facing Evangeline and slowly she made them move towards her torso and wrap themselves around her. She pulled the vines and Evangeline fell to the floor with a thump.

"You win." Said beaten and bruised Evangeline.

"I always do," Anastasia said, eyes still red.

She turned to Ash.

"Want to try?" She smiled.

Ash smirked back.

Her hands lit up again and she threw a fireball at Anastasia missing her head by a hair. Anastasia lifted Ash off the ground and flung her toward her. Anastasia looked her dead in the eyes.

"How does it feel to lose?" She cackled.

"I don't know you tell me."

A black ball of fire came racing towards Anastasia and hit her in the face, black smoke rising from her body. The whole class went silent in shock. Ash had won, or so they thought. The cloud of smoke evaporated revealing an unburned Anastasia. Her eyes were closed and her forehead creased with concentration, a red shield was formed around her the black ball of fire just outside of it.

"But how?" Professor Sheeks whispered.

The shield disappeared leaving Anastasia smiling in delight. The black ball of fire made its way back to Ash and sunk into her hand slowly.

"Well, we should be going." She said, grabbing Caleb's hand.

Professor Sheeks shook off her shock, "Oh yes um class dismissed."

Ash and Evangeline pushed past Anastasia both glaring at her irated.

"Anastasia, how did you do that?" Caleb said startled.

"I don't know," Anastasia said exasperated.

"All I know is it took everything out of me." Anastasia's head started to feel woozy, her classmates were long gone but still, she couldn't faint. She wasn't a princess.

"I just need to-" Anastasia's eyes closed and she felt Caleb catch her before she drifted off to sleep.

...

She woke up and found herself in chains a white cloth wrapped around her mouth. Her eyes went wide in worry. She looked down and saw herself. She wore a taffeta gown with long poofed sleeves that was down to her knees. She heard the sound of her white spiked heels clicking and clacking as she paced around the grand foyer of evil like a madwoman.

"How am I seeing myself." Anastasia thought.

She looked around for an answer but found none. She spotted something shiny in her hand, the gold glinting in the torchlight. Her dagger, but why did she have her dagger. She saw a boy with chestnut brown hair and tan skin enter the foyer, he was dressed in a blue velvet suit. His blue eyes gleaming.

"Caleb!" Anastasia thought loudly.

"Caleb help me!" She said trying to get the words out with the cloth wrapped around her mouth. Caleb didn't hear her focused on Anastasia in the green dress.

"You have the dagger." He said to her.

The other Anastasia held it up, her hands shaking.

"I don't know if I can do this Cal," she said frightened.

"We have too! It's the only way we can get rid of her, don't you want that." Caleb sneered. "Think of all the things she's done to you, think of all the things she's said to you."

Anastasia crossed her arms in fear, not in anger.

"What were they talking about?" Anastasia thought. "Who is her!"

Another figure entered the foyer she was dressed in a black silk gown her hair swept up into a marvelous beehive her emerald eyes matching Anasastaisa's.

"Mother." Anastasia thought astounded.

Anastasia in the green dress stuffed the dagger in her pocket as she saw her mother enter the room. She smiled at Anastasia in delight.

"Oh, my darling daughter don't you look lovely," Sophie said, pulling her into a hug.

Anastasia rolled her eyes as she hugged her mother and pulled away quickly.

"Thank you, mother." She said, forcing a smile.

A bright light flashed on the scene and was replaced with Anastasia and her mother dancing in a slow waltz.

"This is it." The other Anastasia's thoughts boomed through the ballroom for all to hear but nobody seemed to notice. In a flash, the torch lights went out leaving a dark room full of students and parents.

"Time to pay for what you've done to me." The other Anastasia said.

"All the words you've said, all the things you've done, You can't hurt me anymore." She heard her heels clicking closer to her target.

"Ta ta darling." She sneered.

Anastasia heard the swing of her dagger in the silent room stab through someone's heart. The torches flashed on and there she found her mother's body lifeless. Anastasia struggled out of her chains she saw her mother's face turn into a milky white blur and she suddenly forgot everything that she had seen.

"Hello?" She said as her eyes started to close

"Please somebody-"

She opened her eyes to find herself in Caleb's arms. He looked at her and stroked her forehead. "Anastasia what happened to you?!"

Anastasia looked back up at him slowly.

"I know who my nemesis is."