The Tale of Two Angels (School for Good and Evil fanfic)

Chapter 12

There was a lady at the other end of the bridge.

She stepped out just as Rose spoke, and her presence was announced by the clacking of heels against stone. Frost gently pulled her behind him - almost blocking her completely from view - and flashed a stiff smile at the woman.

"Rose," he began, sounding a lot like their father when he warned them about playing with his sharp tools, "This is Lady Lesso, the dean of the School for Evil."

Whereas Professor Cygnelle had a kind, motherly demeanor like Mrs. Dena, Lady Lesso reminded Rose of the schoolmarm back at Gavaldon - the one who always had a steel ruler peeking out of her pocket for punishing any children that crossed her. She wore a striking violet gown with sharp edges and her hair in a tight, painful-looking braid that snapped back and forth with every decisive, meaningful step, a stark contrast to Cygnelle's dress of soft, muted hues of blue and short silver-blue hair that swayed around with her fluid, graceful movements

The dean leaned towards Rose, gaze sharp as her blood-red nails. "You're the other one."

She said it like a statement, a cold hard fact more than a question, and the woman turned her head to the dean already heading towards them.

"Have you told him yet?" she asked as soon as Cygnelle was within earshot.

She stiffened, and Rose thought that the lady might have been just as afraid of Evil's dean as she was. "No. . .I thought you did, when he was in your school."

Lesso's mouth pressed into a fine line. "I was. . .busy, with other matters. Well then, I suppose we shall have to deal with both their reactions at once."

"You wish to tell them now?" Cygnelle asked haltingly.

"We'll have to at some point, Elaine, and if either of them will deny their role, then we the sooner we know the better." With that, she marched into Evil's castle, Cygnelle and the siblings following suit.

"Frost, do you know what they're talking about?"

He shook his head. "Not a clue."

The School of Evil was grand in its own way. It's interior was like Good's but through a warped mirror, with all the furniture dark and rotting, a lack of cleanliness, and shadowy areas abundant. Rose was glad that they didn't have to stay in it long, though she realized that she'd have to stay here at some point too if what Frost said about switching schools every week was right. Hopefully, their rooms were better than their halls.

They were led to Evil's shore where a boat then took them to the base of the tower jutting from the center of Halfway Bay. The School Master's tower, Rose thought, remembering the Tale of Sophie and Agatha. The steep, spiraling stone steps within opened into a dark chamber. The sole window letting weak sunlight filter in did little to light the room up, but dozens of candles flickered to life as they entered, revealing it to be filled with books in neat rows on stone shelves. As they went deeper in, Rose ran her hand along their spines. They weren't the slightest bit dusty.

Despite the dreary, even ominous atmosphere, Rose found herself smiling. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine that this was the library back at Gavaldon, and that it was just another day and they'd be going home soon. . .

When she opened her eyes again, they was in the darkest part of the chamber. Soft sunlight from the window was the only thing lighting this part of the room. The light fell upon an ivory white stone table and a thin, sharp knife dangling in the air above it. Not a knife, Rose realized, but a pen, with some strange, flowing script engraved on its side.