The Lady's Secret (School for Good and Evil)

Always (Tedros's POV)

I opened my eyes. Bright white light stared down at me, blinding my vision. Stumbling, I got up to my knees, looking around.

My foot touched the ground.

Not the ground.

A cloud.

It was fluffy in all the right places, like I could lay down and sleep for eternity.

I took a deep breath... then the memories came flooding back.

A sword, the Snake, Agatha.

My heart dropped.

"Agatha!" I screamed. Frantically, I ran forward, trudging through the fluff.

"Agatha!"

No answer.

"AGATHA!"

Silence.

My lungs gasped for air, sprinting across a cloud. Thoughts frantically ran through my head: Where am I? Where is Agatha?

I stopped. Is she dead?

I jumped across a cloud, searching hysterically for my true love. My heart beat faster and faster with every step I took, until something stopped me.

Crashing onto a cloud, I peered up at Professor Clarissa Dovey.

My heart fell to my throat, unable to get words out.

"My dear boy," she whispered, words jumbling in fear. "What's happened?"

"But..." I stuttered. "You're dead..."

"Yes, but so are you," Dovey revealed, pointing to my chest.

I looked down to see a large wound the size of an apple on the left side of my chest.

A memory surfaced; Japeth throwing a sword towards me. It seemed to move in slow motion as the blade gleamed off of a pink fingerglow.

I had looked towards Agatha, a horrified expression frozen on her face, her body stunned.

I gave her a look.

A look that told her I would love her even in death.

A look that told her I would find my way back to her.

A look that told her we would always be together.

A look I gave her seconds before leaving her, death doing us part.

But, now, thinking of that look, I realize, those weren't things I had the power to promise.

I could love her in death, but the dead can't find their way back to the mortal world.

We won't always be together, I realized, tears streaming down my cheeks. Everything is different now, nothing will be the same.

Clarissa Dovey stared down at me. "There's someone who wants to see you."

I looked up, confusion spreading across my face. "Who?"

There was no answer, just the patter of footsteps. I turned towards the professor, but she was walking away.

I raced after her. "Who wants to see me, Professor?"

There was only the sound of footsteps on clouds as Dovey walked faster and faster, no destination in sight.

Suddenly, she started floating. She hovered in the air, her eyes studying me carefully.

"Well, come on," she said, waving me on.