So here's a couple things. First, this was supposed to be the last chapter. Buuut. By the time I got to a decent ending point I realized that it's just going be way longer than I'm comfortable posting as a single chapter. So, there will be one more after this to kinda wrap things up.
Secondly, gonna apologize if this seems off or it doesn't flow right. I've been re-reading and editing for the better part of three days and I'm not really happy with it but I can't seem to get a solution. Hopefully y'all still enjoy it.
Enjoy~
"So, anything interesting happen today?" Emma questioned as she settled into the chair across from Clarissa.
It'd become something of a routine for the two Evers. Sharing tea and gossiping together. Prior to the fall of the school, the pair met up at least four times a week in Clarissa's old office. After the fall, they continued the tradition. Though, since there were added duties to Clarissa's schedule, their teatimes were limited to two days. Sometimes, on rare occasions, Leonora would join them.
"Let's see. Since it was such a beautiful day I decided to hold class outside! I almost kissed Lesso at lunch. Oh! And some of the Nevers asked if they could join in on the Harvest Ball planning – which, I think will be great." Clarissa babbled. She didn't need to be looking at her friend to know the moment Emma's brown eyes focused on her. Instead of meeting the piercing gaze, Clarissa stared at her teacup, tracing the familiar golden floral pattern.
"Want to run that by me again?"
"That some of the Nevers want to help plan the Harvest Ball?"
"Not that part."
"I had class outside today?"
"Try again."
Clarissa internally flinched. Since the almost-kiss with Leonora earlier in the day she'd been exceedingly nervous. She didn't intend to tell anyone. At least, not until she properly talked to the witch about it. But she'd never been able to keep secrets from the older woman. They'd been friends for far too many years.
Finally meeting Emma's eyes, she gave an awkward smile. "I almost kissed Lesso?"
"Yeah, that." Emma confirmed. She dipped the golden utensil into the sugar, dumping a single spoonful into her tea. Slowly, she stirred her tea, keeping her full attention on the Godmother. "Why, out of all that information, would you think I wasn't talking about you kissing Red?"
"You're missing the part where I said almost! I just. I brought her lunch – because Storian knows that woman doesn't know how to take care of herself – and we ended up eating on the couch. I brought up how I overheard from Beatrix that she dueled with Jerrick and won! Can you believe that? She beat a Cromsworth graduate! That's beyond impressive. Anyway. She started telling me about the Dean who ran things before her."
"Breathe, Claire." the dark-haired woman reminded her with a chuckle. The blonde sucked in a breath. After the third exhale she began again, speaking relatively slower this time.
"After that, I told her that there wasn't anyone else I'd rather be sharing our position with. And then... I moved towards her. But before I could actually kiss her, one of the wolves threw open the door and said something about a hex. And then she just left before I could say anything!" Dove exclaimed, bringing her hands to cover her face. Her next words were muffled, but Emma easily understood. "What do I do now? I didn't mean to upset her."
The History teacher sat for a minute, taking in the information given. She wasn't what one would call 'close' with Lady Lesso. But, she'd been around long enough to have a general idea as to how the redhead worked. If she were truly upset with the situation, she would have made it known. Yet, instead of yelling (or causing bodily harm) she left without a word.
"You haven't talked to her since it happened?"
"No... It's Thursday, both our schedules are busy today."
"I'd start there then."
"But what if she doesn't feel the same? I just... I really like her, Em. I have for a while now. I just don't want my selfishness to ruin our relationship."
"Doesn't feel the same? Claire, you can't be serious."
"Of course I'm serious!"
Emma sighed, taking a sip of her tea. She understood her friend's concern. She'd assumed Lesso's silence was a rejection. Though, if she had to guess, the redheaded woman was just caught off guard.
After all, anyone with eyes could see just how differently the Never treated her good counterpart.
Maybe it was time to remind her. "Do you remember when the Headmaster brought that Never in for a lecture a few years back?"
Of course, Clarissa remembered.
The Headmaster requested the man to come to the school and give a lecture on how he'd prevailed in his story. The following morning, she'd ventured to the Tower for a meeting and caught the tail end of the Headmaster reprimanding Leonora about how inappropriate it was to nearly kill the speaker he'd invited. The redhead, in turn, simply shrugged and pointed out that she'd forewarned the man if he didn't keep his hands to himself, he'd lose them.
Apparently, the man hadn't heeded her warning.
On her way out of the office, she flashed Clarissa a wide smile and a wink, completely unbothered by the scolding.
"She removed his hand." Clarissa recalled.
"Both of them, actually. And his right eye." Emma corrected. Unfortunately for her, she'd entered the infirmary at the wrong time that day and witnessed the aftermath of the Dean of Evil's temper. Shuddering at the memory, Emma continued on. "My point being: you're still here. All your body parts intact."
Emma did have a valid point. Lesso wasn't bashful. On the contrary, the woman lived in a constant state of hostility. She'd maimed more people than Clarissa cared to count. Certainly, had she been uncomfortable with the situation, she would have made it known.
But did that mean she harbored the same feelings?
"Do you think she feels the same?"
Emma's expression softened. Reaching out, she covered Clarissa's hand comfortingly. "Claire, I couldn't begin to tell you what goes through Red's mind. That being said. I think she feels something. Since she's a Never, I can't tell you what that something is. All I can tell you is she's different around you."
"Okay." Clarissa lifted her eyes from her hands, giving her friend a thankful smile. With a single nod she settled on her next move. "I should talk to her about it then."
"That's what I said." Emma chuckled.
Before anything else could be said, the middle door to the tower was thrown open, startling both women.
"Professor Dovey!" A blonde boy shouted as he sprinted into the room. His pace slowed to a stop as he reached the teachers. Resting his hands on his knees he hunched over trying to catch his breath.
Clarissa easily recognized the boy. Being such a prestigious school, they received all manner of royalty. This year, the King of Carn enrolled his triplets (Cillian, Caspian, and Cleo) into their school hoping that his children might receive the education and training they'd need for their future stories.
"Cillian? What are you doing here this late?" Dovey questioned. It was nearly an hour past curfew and out of all the triplets, the middle child was by far more prone to following the rules.
The blonde lifted his head. His brown eyes flickered between the two teachers. "Prince Jerrick went into the woods with my brother and the others! Lady Lesso sent me to get you!"
Panic seized her heart. Even with the Prince at their side, their first-year students were in no way ready to explore the Blue Forest at night. They'd only begun learning about the dangerous creatures within the walls two months ago. There was no way they'd be capable of surviving the horrors within its walls with such little knowledge.
Teatime forgotten; the two teachers wasted no time following the young boy to the entrance to the Blue Forest.
Reaching the edge of the path, Clarissa made out a single figure. As they drew closer, she recognized Prince Jerrick. The panic that gripped her heart doubled as she noticed he was alone.
"Oh, thank the Storian." Clarissa felt the pressure in her chest lighten as Caspian, Ellis, and Aaron suddenly appeared in front of the gate. From a quick glance it seemed as if the students were unharmed. Though, they appeared to be a few shades paler than usual. But Clarissa suspected it was the shock of dealing with the creatures they'd come across in the forest.
Prince Jerrick didn't seem to be as lucky as the students. The young man stood slightly away from the trio. His hands were pressing against his side. Even with the darkness of the night the blood staining his hands was noticeable.
None of them acknowledged the approaching teachers.
Instead, Caspian spun to face Jerrick. His fists were clenched at his sides as he took a step closer. "What was that?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"You took two! Now, she's stuck in there!"
"So? Nevers are a dime a dozen. It's not a big loss!"
"You don't get to say that!" Caspian moved before anyone could stop him. Throwing his fist out, it connected solidly with Jerrick's jaw. The force of the punch sent the already injured man sprawling to the ground. "She came in there to help us! If it wasn't for her, we'd be dead!"
Before he could continue his assault, the other two boys reached out taking a hold of his arms. The boy struggled against his friends, trying to get free of their hold. As they drew closer, Clarissa heard Caspian shout at the crumpled form. "You're a pathetic excuse of a prince!"
"That's enough!" Dovey shouted. Four pairs of eyes snapped towards her, finally taking note of her arrival. Caspian stopped his struggling and his friends released their hold on him. Now that she had their attention, she let out a disappointed sigh.
Firstly, she needed to deal with the bleeding man on the ground. "Prince Jerrick, I'm going to send you to the infirmary."
Jerrick didn't acknowledge her words. Instead, he growled at Caspian. "My father will hear about this."
"Go ahead and tell him. I'll be informing my own father of the events tonight." Caspian sneered, completely undeterred. It was true that the Cromsworth name carried a decent amount of weight. However, the Carns held far more influence and power.
Before any more arguing could be done Dovey snapped her fingers. Jerrick disappeared in a shower of golden glitter. With one obstacle out of the way, the blonde shifted her attention back to the boys in front of her.
"Are any of you injured?" Clarissa glanced between the students who refused to meet her gaze.
"No Professor Dovey." They choired.
She was thankful for that. Seeing her students injured was far from her favorite thing. Squaring her shoulders, she readied herself to have a proper lengthy discussion with the boys about rules and their importance.
Before she could begin, though, Emma spoke up. "Where's Lady Lesso?"
Glancing around, she tried to find any sight of the former Dean of Evil. Icy fear shot through her as she realized that the woman still hadn't come out of the woods.
Something wasn't right.
The students in front of her had broken one of the most important rules. Leonora wouldn't have sent them back to the gates alone. Normally when her Evers broke the rules and she was forced to intervene, she'd storm into their office, dragging the poor soul behind her. It was only after delivering them to Clarissa personally (with the distinct threat of spending some time in the Doom Room) that she'd leave.
"She's still inside. Jerrick snatched two handkerchiefs and she gave the remaining ones to us."
The quiet ringing in her ears started to grow more intense as different scenarios assaulted her mind. Leonora cornered by wolves. Beheaded by reapers. Ripped to shreds by the ferocious flora.
The boys shifted uncomfortably at the expression on their former Dean's face. Ellis hesitantly spoke. "She'll be okay, right?"
Clarissa wanted to reassure him, but the words got stuck in her throat.
"Lady Lesso is the Headmistress of Evil for a reason." Emma firmly assured. The statement was more for Clarissa's sake than the students'. The dark-haired woman sensed the growing anxiety within the Godmother. With a calming hand on her arm, Emma dismissed the boys to their dorm with a promise of a meeting to discuss their punishment.
Now that the students were gone, Clarissa moved towards the large wooden door.
Emma reached out and gently took hold of her wrist. "Rissa? What are you doing?"
"I'm going in after her."
"Clarissa, you can't."
"I can't just leave her in there!"
"The woods are full of dangerous creatures."
"Which is why I should be in there!"
"Clarissa, as a Godmother you know that your powers aren't able to kill another living thing. You'll be defenseless."
Clarissa sunk to the ground, staring pitifully up at her friend. "But... What if she doesn't come back?"
"Red? Are you serious?" Emma hoped her laugh sounded genuine. Settling on the ground beside Clarissa, she held the darker hand in her own. "It's going to take more than some reapers, wolves, and whatever else is in that place to take her out. She'll come back."
The pair fell into silence, watching the door anxiously for Leonora's return.
Lesso let out a sigh of relief as the entrance finally appeared in her line of sight.
She was beyond exhausted. It wasn't as if she wasn't used to a lack of sleep. In fact, the witch thrived on little. However, dueling a prince, trekking through the Blue Forest, and fighting the creatures within had been a far greater strain than she'd expected. The only reason she still stood was the adrenaline that coursed through her veins.
Nearing the entrance, the muffled sounds of voices could be heard on the other side of the gate. From her position, she wasn't able to fully make out who the voices belonged to. Straightening her shoulders, she pushed the wooden gate open.
The door hadn't even closed behind her before a streak of gold threw itself at her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her sword disappeared in a puff of purple smoke as she wound her arms around Clarissa's shoulders, trying to keep them from toppling over.
"Princess?" The Dean of Evil questioned as she attempted to pull back. Clarissa refused to let go, however. Instead, the Godmother's vice grip tightened around her bruised ribs.
Tentatively, she returned the woman's embrace. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she looked to Emma for an explanation. The older woman just shrugged as she rose to her feet. Instead of helping her free herself from the fairy, Emma gave her a thumbs up before disappearing in a cloud of pink sparkles.
Lesso waited patiently until the Godmother's death grip on her loosened. Slowly, Leonora coaxed the Godmother to take a step back. Her own pain and exhaustion evaporated at the sight of the stream of tears that carved their way down Clarissa's cheeks. Reaching out, she cupped Clarissa's face in her hands. The tears were removed with a gentle swipe of her thumb. "Did someone hurt you? Was it Jerrick? I'll kill him."
"I'm not hurt."
"Then why are you crying?"
"I- I was worried about you! The woods are dangerous at night! Even for someone with your abilities! What were you thinking? Going in there all alone? Why didn't you wait for us!"
"I thought that if I didn't go in there, you'd be down three Evers."
"But you could have gotten hurt!"
"Dove." Leonora sighed. With the last of her adrenaline gone, she found herself not wanting to argue with her counterpart. "I train in those woods. Frequently I might add. I know the dangers."
She tried to ignore the heat that rose to her cheeks as Dovey's eyes traced over every inch of her body. She frowned as brown eyes stilled at the blood staining her sleeve. "You're bleeding."
She was.
A large, jagged gash – the result of a lucky strike from one of the reapers – ran the length of her forearm. Sure, it may have been deep enough that a speck of bone peeked through. But her arm was still attached and it would heal with time.
"It's nothing to worry your pretty head over, Little Dove." The witch shrugged with a dismissive wave of her uninjured hand.
Clarissa ignored her words and took ahold of the paler wrist. Gently she peeled back the blood-soaked sleeve of the grey coat. After repeating the process with the white blouse, Clarissa paled.
If she wasn't so exhausted, she would have teased the Good Dean.
"See? It's nothing."
"It's most certainly not 'nothing'! You need to see a healer!"
"It's fine, Dove. I've had a lot worse."
"At least allow me to dress your wound."
"Clarissa, I really just want to go to bed."
Once again, she found herself on the other end of pleading brown eyes. "Please? I'll sleep better knowing that you aren't going to bleed out in your sleep."
Gods, this woman made her soft.
"Alright." Lesso sighed. Clarissa gave a thankful smile before guiding the taller woman towards her rooms.
It was only after closing the door that Dovey finally released the light hold on her wrist. The shorter woman ushered her over to sit in one of the overstuffed pink couches before disappearing through the double doors that she assumed led to the bedroom and bath like her own rooms.
Slowly, green eyes observed her surroundings.
The Ever's rooms had a similar layout to her own. The part of the room she currently sat in acted as a small living area. There was a small kitchenette area in the corner of the room. A golden desk (similar to the one in their shared office) sat in front of the large glass windows.
Unlike her own rooms (that were decorated in varying shades of black, violet, and grey) Dovey's color palette consisted of white, gold, and various pastels. It looked as if a unicorn threw up.
It was definitely... Clarissa.
The Godmother returned through the doors a moment later. Taking the empty spot beside her, she gestured for her arm. Silently, Lesso offered her arm to the blonde. The two sat in silence as Dovey carefully tended to the wound.
It was strange having someone else tend to her injury. The first (and last) time she'd trusted someone to assist her, it'd nearly cost her life. That was the day that Rafal's actions engrained that weakness wouldn't be tolerated.
Instantly she shoved the spiraling thoughts out of her mind, reminding herself that he was gone. That it wasn't him invading her space.
Instead, the most sought out Fairy Godmother sat beside her. Lesso found her gaze drifting along the woman's features. There was no denying Clarissa's beauty. She was the Fairy Godmother after all. The goodest of all Good.
"There. All done."
Blinking a few times, she noticed the wound was now completely wrapped in fresh gauze. She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't realized the blonde had finished. Pulling her arm back into her own space she clenched her hand, testing the hold of the stitches. There was a slight pulling, indicating they were tight. Lesso nodded, content with the work. "Not bad."
"I should go."
Before she could move Clarissa surged forwards. Lesso's eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into the kiss. Warmth spread throughout her body, as Dovey moved to straddle her. Clarissa's tongue ran across her bottom lip, seeking approval that the redhead easily granted. Lesso couldn't help the blissful moan as Clarissa wound her arms around her neck, pulling her impossibly closer.
Contrary to what Evers thought, Nevers did feel happiness. Scaring her students. Causing general chaos. Strangling the life out of those weaker than her. All these things brought immense joy.
But this? Kissing Clarissa? It was a different type of happiness. One she hadn't felt before.
And she craved more.
Pulling back, she put a small amount of space between them. She wanted to explore this feeling, but she needed to be sure that Clarissa wouldn't regret this decision in the morning.
"Princess. If we do this. There's no going back." Lesso breathed the words. Her grip on Clarissa's thigh's tightened slightly in an effort to stress the importance of the situation. "So, I'll ask you once more. Are you absolutely certain that this is what you want?"
Clarissa's dark eyes bore into her soul. "More than anything."
She searched Clarissa's face for any trace of doubt or uncertainty. However, her expression was filled with nothing but longing and conviction. That was all the confirmation she needed to close the distance. Leaning down, she captured Clarissa's lips with her own once more.