“I’ll take care of the lunch menu,” said Merlin, “though we’ll have to endure some grumbling from my hat. He’s only just recovered from serving breakfast. But we have a lot to discuss and there isn’t much ti—”

The wizard stopped hard at the sight of Agatha in her crown. So did everyone behind him, a rapt silence overtaking the moors.

Merlin smiled, his eyes big and blue. “In darkness comes a queen,” he whispered.

Slowly the old man bent down to one knee before Agatha and bowed his head. So did all his charges behind him, young and old. Then Guinevere, Lancelot, Hort . . . until Tedros gazed at Agatha squarely and sank to his knee too.

In that moment, beneath a dying sun, with an army of heroes kneeling before her, Agatha made a second wish. That she would be the queen that Good needed her to be.

“I don’t see the big deal,” Cinderella mumbled so everyone could hear. “Looks like a giraffe in her granny’s crown.”

But as they all walked towards the house together, the League’s heroes sniffling quietly, Agatha could even see a tear in the old princess’s eye.

27

Rebel Hearts

“What if Merlin marshals the Ever kingdoms against us?” Sophie heard Professor Manley ask.

“For the last time, Bilious, Good defends, not attacks; the Ever kingdoms will not fight us if we do not fight them,” Rafal’s voice growled. “Besides, they know better than to risk their people for a few decrepit heroes. Not that this will save them, of course. Once Sophie and I prove that Evil can win, we’ll destroy the Ever kingdoms one by one.”

“And what if more of our students turn out to be spies for Good?” asked Professor Sheeks.

“What if Princess Uma brings an animal army?” pushed Pollux.

“If you’re worried about our students’ ability to fight animals, then I wonder what business you have being a teacher at all,” the young School Master fired. “As for spies, Sheeba, I believe the threat of imprisonment in the Brig will deter any further rebellion.”

“’Cause that worked real well tonight,” Castor murmured.

Sophie wasn’t paying attention to them as she inspected the food laid out at the back of Lady Lesso’s old frozen classroom. Rafal had promised they’d serve lunch at the faculty meeting, but all she’d found was a stinking heap of cold mackerel, burnt potatoes, and crusty cheese.

She glimpsed her reflection in an iced wall and almost didn’t recognize herself. Gone was the panicked, needy girl who’d chased a prince to Avalon and in her place, an imperious queen in a spiked crown and maleficent gown. Ever since yesterday’s coronation before famous villains and former classmates, standing in homage to their new leader, Sophie had begun to feel like her old self. She glanced down at Merlin’s white star, which she’d buried in her pocket. No doubt he’d left it to make her rethink her allegiance to Evil. Instead it had only recommitted her. Because like Agatha, that hoary, two-faced wizard had used her all along. He’d pretended to rescue her because he wanted to see her happy—when he’d just needed her to destroy her ring. Like Agatha, he didn’t care if she ended up alone. She was nothing but a means to an end. A gullible stooge. A cog in Good’s wheel.