The Twilight Children//The School for Good and Evil

41 ~ The King and Queen of Havfrue

. : Laura of Neverland : .

Laura squeezed Agatha tight, wrapping the small girl in her arms. "Gods I'm relieved you're alive and safe."

Her friend smelled of soil and sweat, but she was back. Laura pulled away for a second to smile. Her eyes drifted to Tedros and Sebastian, who were hugging tight, wide grins on both of their faces. 

Laura's eyes flickered as movement flashed on the far side of the graveyard. She frowned, before saying. "Everybody get down."

Without question, the three others obeyed her. She joined them in a crouch, Reaper stalking off into the bush. 

Laura focused on the surroundings, scanning the graveyard. She could've sworn she had seen someone. Gently, she called her magic to the surface, waiting for something to appear. 

There was a loud grunt and she froze, her eyes fixing on a shape near one of the graves in the back. A large hulking figure hung over the grave, cursing as it dug a shovel into one of the graves higher up on the hill. 

Laura frowned, gesturing for the other three to stay silent. Slowly, she began to move around the outskirts of the clearing, stepping in and out of the tree line, using her clothing as camouflage and her training with the Twilight Children to keep silent.

As she got nearer, the figure's voice became clear.

"Other villains got to go after their heroes, but no, guess who gets stuck digging up the graves of other villains." 

Laura furrowed her eyebrows. What Rosalind said must've been true. The resurrected school master must have been bringing back the dead villains, so they could get a chance at changing Ever After. This would ruin the Cardinal Balance.

There was something off about this villain though. His skin was rotting, with patches falling off, and his eyes seemed out of focus and blurry. Nothing about him seemed living.

Laura hesitated, waiting until the villain had paused in his digging to wipe his head with the back of his hand. With a flick of her wrist, the villain screamed as a fire started at his feet, eating its way up him until the undead body collapsed. 

Laura pursed her lips. Everyone nearby had likely heard that scream, and without a doubt, there would soon be more. She jogged her way back to where the other three and Reaper waited.

"We need to go now." 

~~~

Laura walked in time with Agatha. It was mid-afternoon and they were only a few hours' walk from the safe house in the Sleepy Violet Woods. With any luck, hopefully, the rest of the Council would be there with as many fairy tale heroes they could find across the Endless Woods. 

Sebastian and Tedros walked in front of them, quiet chatter passing between them. She focused her gaze on Sebastian's broad back as he walked. His magic was active, bouncing through his veins. 

"We just barely made it out of Gavaldon," Agatha spoke. "Thank you for finding us." 

Laura smiled down at her friend. "I'm just happy you're safe, it's a dangerous world right now. I'm happy for you and Tedros though. You found your happily ever after and still came back when needed."