𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 | tedros pendragon

29. ending and evermore

"You only care for yourself. And this is the furthest thing from love of Earth," Agatha admitted quietly, Rafal barking laughter at her. The sound was sharp and cracked through the air, installing stillness. "Such beautiful words," He smiled sarcastically, "that has no power or meaning anymore," He shrugged before moving back to the golden Storian. 

"Now, if you'll please, step away from my bride," He shooed Agatha with his glowing scarred palm. "You will never have her, you monster," Agatha pushed, stepping forward again. She was still in her Everball dress, which seemed amusing to Valerie who was watching with sleepy eyes. Rafal stopped his hand which brushed the ancient pages of the Storian's book. "Not as long as I'm alive," Agatha stated with courage. 

Valerie's head lolled to the side, her breath short and slow. "Stupid," She whispered with little strength. "Oh, well as you wish!" Rafal turned with a cruel Cheshire Cat grin. He moved the Storian with his blood magic, the metal blade twisting loudly in the air. It sang through the still air of the School Master's office. 

Rafal grunted when he suddenly sent the Storian flying at Agatha. The doe-eyed brunette was shoved out of the way by Sophie who took to the brute force of the flying spear. Rafal's eyes widened in shock.

Adrenalin sparked in Valerie, the feeling tingling as it flew through the little blood she had left. Her whole body lay in a pool of her blood, the base of her head relaxing against the edge of the table. Sophie grunted as the Storian hit her heart, collapsing to the floor. 

"SOPHIE!" Agatha screeched, running to her best friend's side. "No! NO!" Rafal screamed when he'd seen what had been done. What he had done. The green magic swirled outside tormentingly. 

"You do not deserve to live," Valerie spoke quietly whilst Agatha sobbed over Sophie's dying body. Rafal turned angrily, his face shifting into surprise as he saw her standing with a menacing face. Her hands, sloppily covered in crimson, clenched the table as her knees wobbled. It took everything in her to turn and stand - she was pale and unbalanced.

Her eyes glowed bright with ice, a determined expression easily distinguished. Blood fell down the table's edge she grasped, in an attempt to support herself. Her other bloodied hand was by her side, free of her wound. 

There was no point in trying to prevent the bleeding, Valerie was dying and she knew it. 

"None of this does," She gestured lazily to the blood magic that pumped through the air. She was still weak. Rafal chuckled, although still worryingly glancing at Sophie. "What are you, an ice princess, going to do about it? Run to your lovely Prince? He's dead," Rafal laughed. 

Valerie didn't know if it was the way he said it or what he said or her imagination performing the awful way that she imagined Tedros had died, but a spark ignited inside of her. Her face scrunched together in rage. "Blood magic will never exist again," She shook her head, her white hair dribbling onto her shoulders. It was sticky with blood.

"And what will you do, exactly?" Rafal laughed at her, she was weak and unable. Her body swayed gently. "I will accomplish the one thing a Never can do right," She told him, Rafal's eyebrows going up in interest. "Destroy". 

Rafal didn't know what was happening when he watched Valerie. It confused him. Scared him, even. She placed her arms out, her hands flickering with sparks before slowly igniting with ice. 

Frost started to build along her. The ice crept from her shaking fingertips, up her hands and forearms. It spread over her body like some sort of snowflake infection. Crawling over the glass lodged in her stomach, it froze the blood which thickly drenched the material of her dress. 

Her thin spindly legs turned blue with the ice, her boots also freezing. The air turned cold, a new sort of thrum filling the air. The singing of ice magic. Rafal took a tiny step back, a flinch, as it covered her neck and hair. Then, her thorax began to shine, a glowing light building up. "I'm letting go," She whispered to herself.

When Rafal understood what was happening, it hit him like a train. His breath was taken from his lungs. His limbs froze over in fear. His jaw slackened in disbelief. He tried to step forward, holding his hand out to stop the bright light from burning his corneas. "STOP!" He screamed as Valerie closed her eyes, accepting her fate. 

Then the light grew, covering her body and hovering in one place. The Ice Witch of Narnia stood, incubated in her own light, enveloped in her own power. Everything was silent. 

Then, as Rafal took one step towards the light, it exploded. 

Power was exerted across the whole room, everything shone with white light. The blue power, the ice, the love, everything which made up Valerie's emotions, scattered across the room and pummelled every particle of blood magic. Books flew off the walls, things were knocked over. 

It shook the floor, Agatha covering Sophie as she tried to stabilise herself. The power roared with the noise, the power repelling the Never After story. It wasn't a story that was going to be written that day. Or any day. Ever.  

Valerie screamed as she continued to let go of the power she'd continuously kept in. She let go of the anger, the sadness, the memories. Flickers of the night in the woods came to the forefront of her mind, her boyfriend - an Everboy - had persuaded her to come for a walk with him. His mates had laughed and patted him on the back as they left. She was naïve and gullible. 

Then she remembered flickers of meeting Sophie for the first time, pulling her from the dirty cold bog outside of the School for Evil. She remembered meeting Anadil and Dot, threatening Hester. She remembered Bilious' class, the dagger she'd got from him. Memories of meeting Tedros, stealing his ring, punching him in the face, killing the scarecrow together. Him. His face filled her mind, and she felt the unmissable feeling of home every time she saw him. 

When Valerie's power faded, the two girls on the floor were staring in shock.  Light returned to the world, the green fading easily. They watched through the shattered windows, the buildings rebuilding. Gasps of students rounded each wisp of air. 

"It can't be," Rafal declared whilst he felt his face. The scars of magic were gone, every feel and thrum of blood magic had dissolved. Valerie had destroyed the entire form of magic. "Not after all this."

Rafal took a shaky breath, muttering 'No' under his breath as Agatha cradled Sophie, tears dripping onto, and falling down, her friend's face. All of the blood magic was undone, and Sophie's wound healed without scar. They were crying in each other's arms, Sophie sobbing into the Cinderella-like dress Agatha wore. 

Rafal cried out when he fell with his body tearing open, magic toppling from him into the air. The glow dissipated.  When he hit the ground, his body erupted into an abundance of black feathers. Agatha panted as she stood up in shock, the air feeling crisp and free. "The end." 

Footsteps pounded up the stairs and into the room, Tedros' voice echoing through the room. "Valerie? VALERIE?!" He called, slamming the door open. Two other Everboys were behind him, their faces dropping in shock as they took in the situation. 

Tedros' eyes - the gorgeous eyes Valerie loved ever so much - looked around the room in shock when he took in Sophie, Agatha and what was left of Rafal. Then, his eyes slid over a heartbreaking sight. 

"NO!" Tedros screamed with raw cords, running forward and sliding onto his knees as he saw Valerie's dead body lying cold on the floor.