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

The Lady's Secret

The fall was even worse than that of the crystal ball. Agatha stood up with her hands at her temple, head pounding.

In the scene around her, Agatha was sitting in a carriage made of red velvet. There was gold stitching in the fabric.

She saw... August Sader? He was wearing his signature green suit and looked exactly like she remembered.

As she stood up from her seat, Agatha saw her leg blur with the memory. She could walk right through August and he wouldn't even notice because she was only there as a viewer in the Lady's mind.

The carriage pulled to an abrupt stop and Agatha shivered with cold. August adjusted his stance before rising to his feet. The carriage door swung open and an Avalon guard held it for him.

August stepped out and onto the freshly packed snow of Avalon with a murmur of thanks. Agatha quickly scampered behind, but soon realized she could just walk through the carriage door if she were to be trapped.

The guard led them across a large patch of snow. Agatha turned around and saw there were only two pairs of footprints behind them; August and the Avalon guard's. Agatha's were nowhere to be found. They didn't exist.

Where are we going? Agatha thought, eyes glued to the lake where- depending on how far in the past this was- Guinevere and Lancelot may or may not be hiding. She had a slight memory of that awful beaver: Ajubaju the tour guide. He had led them straight into a trap, but this was a memory it couldn't be a trap... right?

The guard didn't stop at the lake, instead leading them past it. "Where are we going, Bowie? We've been walking for a long time," August said. His form stopped in the snow, halting the guard. He may not have been able to see, but he had a good sense of direction. "I was told we would meet by the lake."

Bowie faced him. "The Lady had a different idea."

August Sader was meeting with the Lady of the Lake? What did this mean?

August didn't move. "I want to know what's going on, Bowie."

"The Lady doesn't want to disclose this information." His face was entirely professional.

"Where is she waiting?"

"The castle."

Hopefully not near any poisonous snakes, Agatha thought, still thinking about the murderous tour guide she had encountered previously.

Bowie pulled a key from the pocket of his uniform and put it in the slot. The large door to the Avalon castle creaked open and August followed him inside.

It was considerably warmer and Agatha realized her teeth hadn't stopped chattering since she had stepped out of the carriage. The castle was exactly how Agatha remembered it down to the last moss covered stone in the wall.

"Mr. Sader, I'm glad to make your acquaintance again," said a familiar voice. It was the Lady.

"Pleased to see you again as well, Nimue," August said into the dark castle. The Lady of the Lake still hadn't shown herself.

"I wish I could say this was a happy occasion," By her tone, Agatha could tell she was smiling sadly. "But alas..."

"I know why I'm here, Nimue. Let's get to it," August said.

"If we must..." The Lady of the Lake stepped into the light. At first she looked like her normal, beautiful, young self, then Agatha really got a look at her. She had bags under her eyes and her skin was so pale she was almost transparent. Her eyes had lost their glow, she no longer looked like the radiant protector of Good and instead like a normal nymph that may have partied too hard the night before. "I need help, August," she said. "Please."