. : Sebastian of Havfrue : .

Sebastian watched out of the corner of his eye as Tedros bounced from foot to foot. His metal sword-- the one engraved with the lion of Camelot-- swung from hand to hand. With each pass, it came closer to Sebastian, until he was shuffling away from harm's reach.

"Tedros, are you ready?" Sebastian kept his voice mild. They hadn't spoken since their small argument a few weeks ago, and now, as they waited for the Circus of Talents to begin, the tension was palatable. 

Tedros grunted in response and Sebastian rolled his eyes at the younger boy. He glanced at Nikolas, who shrugged. 

"Are you really going to be like this for the rest of our lives?" Sebastian hissed through his teeth. "Ignoring me like a petulant child? All because I told you to get your head out of your ass?"

Sebastian was admittedly still frustrated about Laura. Since their little fight in the library, it had been back to square one. He kept doing the little drills she had taught them, and it helped keep his body temperature regulated, and his mind focused. Still, he felt like he was plateauing. He hated to admit it, but he needed her help. He had evidently crossed a line, asking about her past. He couldn't help the part of his mind that scratched at him, wanting to know more about her. How was he supposed to trust her to train him if she wouldn't share any information with him?

"I'm not acting like a petulant child," Tedros snapped back. "I'm angry that you're keeping secrets from me. You know something, something that could potentially help us all, and you are keeping it a secret."

Sebastian huffed. "You have been so self-absorbed this past month, Tedros, that I've barely had time to share anything with you. One day, I will sit you down and explain what is going on, but until then, I'm afraid you are just going to have to be content with being mad."

Nikolas came up behind them and braced a hand on both of their shoulders. "Are you ready to go show off your sword fighting skills?"

Sebastian gave him a small smile, thankful to the tan boy for trying to lighten the mood. He needed to explain to Tedros what was happening, but he wanted to be confident in his own choice first. One day he would sit down and have a long talk. He couldn't do it now.

Tedros shrugged Nikolas' hand off. "Come on, let's go in now. We can find a good seat before the show starts."

Sebastian sighed, but let Tedros walk ahead.

"He's really quite miffed at you," Nikolas commented quietly.

Sebastian nodded. "He'll get over it, he's more like his father in that aspect than he realizes."

Sebastian took the seat next to Tedros on the cushioned bleachers as Evers and Nevers filed in. Tedros was glaring like a hawk, and Sebastian followed his gaze to the Never entrance. He was no doubt keeping an eye out for Sophie. Sebastian didn't know if she would show, but part of him was praying she didn't.

The hall steadily filled up with students, the teachers long since locked into their rooms.

"Isn't it a little late in the term for new students?" Nikolas murmured. The boy leaned close, smelling of wind and sand. 

Sebastian hummed in confusion, following Nikolas' eyes. His eyebrows shot up.

"That's not a new student," Sebastian responded. "That's Agatha."

Tedros snapped his gaze in the same direction as Sebastian and Nikolas, and Sebastian watched his eyebrows vanish into his hairline. 

Agatha had obviously come into her confidence and was walking in a gown so blue it looked like midnight. Her hair had been swept up, and beneath the dress, peaked a pair of clumps. 

Laura followed close behind, looking preoccupied with her thoughts. She wore a strapless emerald gown, dusted in gold roses, and her brown hair curled down her back. Sebastian frowned. She looked like someone he knew.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes as he tracked her among the minglers. Agatha moved to sit down next to Kiko, but Laura made it halfway there, before she vanished behind two Everboys, and never reappeared. 

Sebastian turned his head, trying to find her, but couldn't. She was still in the room; he could feel her magic. She was nowhere to be seen.

Sebastian moved to get up. He wanted to speak to her, to see if he could amend their tension. It would mean more training and hopefully a better balance for both of them.  

The lights began to dim, and Sebastian huffed, sitting back down, and focusing on the stage. Where had she gone?

A hot hand brushed his shoulder and he flinched, snapping to look over his shoulder. Laura had appeared behind him, and for the first time since they had met, Sebastian was surprised to see a nervous look on her face.

"We've got a problem," She whispered, her voice low in his ear.

Sebastian frowned, his heart twitching with annoyance. "I thought you weren't speaking to me."

Laura huffed in his ear. "You now know that you don't cross boundaries."

Sebastian swallowed, digging his fingers into his thighs. "I'm sorry for asking questions that I shouldn't have,"

"And I'm sorry that I told you about Urla, but we've got bigger problems."

Urla was an issue, that was for sure. Sebastian was reasonably certain it contributed to the amount of hate Laura had for him. He had figured that as long as his parents never knew, it was not going to be an issue. Sebastian twisted more, so he could see her face in the dark room. Everyone focused on the stage to watch the first round of the talent show. "What is happening?"

Laura glanced around to ensure no one was listening, before bending further forward. "Sophie is having nemesis dreams."

Sebastian inhaled sharply through his teeth. "Shit,"

Laura nodded her agreement. "We need to be on guard."

"But Sophie is not even here," Sebastian gestured to the Evil doors. "They are locked. How do you even know she is having dreams?"

Laura shook her head, dark hair falling around her face. "I have an informant," At Sebastian's glare she rolled her eyes, but continued. "Hester and Anadil are Sophie's roommates from the School for Evil and I trust them. All the teachers and people of authority are in their rooms and not coming out. If Sophie is going to go berserk, it will be now."

"So what are we supposed to do? The teachers are locked away. There is no way to get help."

Laura inhaled slowly. "It's on us. Maybe she won't show, but keep an eye out."

Sebastian made to respond, but she had vanished again, and when he finally found her again, she was seated next to Agatha, looking entirely nonchalant.

~~~

The Circus of Talents went slowly.  Beatrix sang a song, a Never that Sebastian didn't know sprouted a hair, and Agatha-- much to everyone's surprise-- revealed that the wolves and the faeries that guarded the school were the old students that had failed. Good had won each round, with the Never's getting punished in increasingly worse ways. 

Sebastian cringed as boiling black oil splashed down

"Final duel," The white wolf that had been leading the whole show. "Never Sophie with Ever Tedros. With Sophie absent, we'll proceed to Tedros."

"No,"

Sebastian snapped his head to Tedros, unable to mask his surprise. The boy stood up, brandishing his sword. Tedros and Agatha exchanged an unreadable look.

Sebastian wrapped his fingers around his sword, his thumb running over the crab crest. Something was about to happen. He could feel the water magic bubbling beneath his skin.

"The Circus ends now. We've seen Good that cannot be matched," Tedros bowed to Agatha. "There is no doubt of the winner."

Sebastian looked up at the crown, ready to watch the crown descend onto Agatha's head. It was silent.

Until there was a thunderous knock.

It remained silent for a second before another knock rang out, and the Never doors creaked open.

Sebastian's eyes widened as a cloaked figure stepped into the room and stalked down the aisle toward Tedros. Agatha scrambled back down to the bleachers, standing just in front of her. He snapped his head in Laura's direction.

Her eyes were narrowed, and her fingers dug into the edge of her seat. She glanced over at him as Sophie threw off the hood of her cloak. The crowd recoiled in shock and disgust. The once beautiful blonde girl was marred by warts, wispy white hair and a bulbous nose.

"Well Teddy, I'm here for our challenge."

Sebastian's eyes snapped to Tedros' face. It had gone tight and pale. His blue eyes kept darting around, looking at the crowd. Nervousness began to thrum through Sebastian. This was a real witch, something that no one in the school had ever prepared for. As far as they knew, the teachers were blissfully locked in their rooms, far away from the chaos. 

"The Circus is over," Tedros responded, brandishing his sword, but Sebastian could see the terror behind his steely face.

"Then what is that?" Sophie pointed a long haggard finger at the crown above. The gleaming gold crown hovered, still undecided on the winner. "Go on Teddy, show us your talent."

The Nevers, sensing a change in the trajectory of the Circus began to chant, demanding that Tedros show them a talent.

Tedros tightened his grip on his sword and glanced back at Sebastian. His face was impassive, but his eyes thrummed with nervousness. Sebastian shook his head, slowly, so that no one would notice. He couldn't fight a witch. Tedros had no real-world training. 

The boy spun back around and fell to a knee. Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Tedros was beginning to think clearly again.

"I've finally been doing my own homework, want to see Teddy?" Sophie crooned at him, brushing his blond hair back.

"It's still my turn."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, fear for his friend spiking through his body, making his fingers twitch.

Tedros spun and pointed his sword into the crowd, before laying it at his feet. "Agatha of the Woods Beyond, will you be my princess for the ball?"

The room went dead silent, and a sad wistful look seemed to sweep over the Nevers. 

Sebastian glanced at Agatha, who smiled huge, her eyes staying wholly focused on Tedros. "Yes!"

Instantly, the rest of the Ever boys rose, each brandishing their swords toward a girl. Sebastian's eyes lingered on Tedros, regret thrumming through him, before following suit, and pointing his sword at Beatrix-- who had been right behind him-- and kneeling. 

"Beatrix of Jaunt Jolie, will you be my princess for the ball?"

The room was filled with shouts of yes. The Nevers drooped with sadness and shame, yet Sophie raised up, an enraged look on her face, and began to sing.

The roof shattered as ravens came crashing through, sending glass scattering along the golden floor. The ravens dashed for the wolves, pecking at their eyes, ears, and throats. They swooped intending to do the same to students, but Sophie stopped singing and the ravens vanished into the air.

The crown twirled down, spinning slowly and bouncing between good and evil, before finally, with one last decisive twirl, it planted itself firmly on Sophie's head.

"Don't forget the prize."

Sophie smiled at them, and Sebastian recoiled at the rotted teeth. Sharp streaks of white began to erase the stage behind Sophie, and Sebastian stood up, scanning the crowd for Laura as students began to flee.

Above the chaos, as both schools exited through their respective doors, tripping and stumbling, Agatha's voice rang out clearly.

"Run!" 

~~~

A/N

Hello everyone,

Here is a chapter for you all. We are getting very close to the end of part one.

Until Next Time 

~ Indigo