The School for Good and Evil 3-Book Collection by Soman Chainani

Author:Soman Chainani
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2020-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

17

AGATHA

The Only Safe Place in the Woods

Two Tedroses jumped over the gatehouse wall, throttling for the Woods beyond the castle.

“Hurry!” the real Tedros panted, dragging his clone past the gatehouse, emptied of guards, who were still on the battlefield.

Tears streamed down Agatha’s cheeks as she hugged the Dean’s bag to her muscled flank, her thick thighs and broad shoulders hampering her run. Blood and welts streaked their bare chests, though her prince looked far worse. A strange déjà vu seeped into Agatha’s grief, as if she’d lived this scene before—

All at once, the spell broke and she melted back into her own body, her tattered dress reappearing with a borrowed swan crest, her shoulders smaller, her legs more nimble.

But the crush of emotions was still the same.

“Dovey . . . ,” she choked. “Tedros . . . she’s . . . she’s . . .”

“I know,” he said, his voice rigid. He pulled her into the Woods, past the first line of trees, raining waves of red and yellow leaves. She could hear his heavy grunts, every part of his body wrecked. The only solace was that they’d left Rhian in far worse shape. Brambles hooked onto her dress and Tedros’ breeches, their shoes slipping on heaps of dead autumn fronds.

Alarm bells pealed from Camelot’s belfry, followed by a stampede of hooves.

“Run faster!” Tedros barked, his cheeks blotched red.

Agatha knew his anger wasn’t for her. His anger was pain. His anger was guilt. The Snake had killed his best friend, his knight, and now his Dean, and Tedros had been powerless to stop him. He’d tried to save Dovey. Agatha had too. But Dovey hadn’t intended to be saved.

Even so, they hadn’t gotten away scot-free.

Japeth had seen the two Tedroses lunge for the Dean as she fell.

He’d known it was Agatha and her prince from the way they’d tried to save her . . . from the horror on their faces. . . .

Now the Snake and his men were coming for them.

“We can’t outrun horses,” Agatha fought, resisting Tedros’ pull. “We need to hide!”

Hooves echoed over the drawbridge. They’d be here any second—

Agatha saw a steep downslope to the east, blanketed in fallen leaves. She wrenched Tedros towards it, who gleaned her plan, dashing for the hill and yanking Agatha behind him. Light faded around them, the treetops blocking out the sun.

Chasing her prince in the dark, Agatha felt despair overwhelm her.

Professor Dovey was dead.

Her fairy godmother.

The Dean who’d known Agatha was Good before she herself ever did. The voice that had lifted her from the darkness when she had no hope.

Dovey had given her life to let them survive. To let them fix this story and find its real end.

Just like Agatha’s mother had, once upon a time.

All those she’d looked to as family: Callis, Professor Sader, Professor Dovey . . . One by one, they’d been felled by her story.

But not without purpose.

The thought hit Agatha like a wind to a sail, propelling her forward, even as the tears fell.

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