She wouldn’t have the strength to fight or help them if things went wrong. Despairing, Agatha held herself back.

“Take Emma and go to the Stymph Forest, Clarissa,” said Lady Lesso.

“Lady Lesso—” Professor Dovey started.

“Now,” Lady Lesso commanded.

Clarissa didn’t argue. She grabbed Professor Anemone’s hand and hurried out of the theater through the east doors.

Alone in the Theater of Tales, Sophie and Lady Lesso faced off in the green torchlight.

“You said you wanted me to be a legendary queen,” Sophie boiled, shaking with rage. “You said you wanted me to make Evil great again. You said you wanted me to be happy.”

“And I do,” said Lady Lesso.

“Then how could you betray me and the one boy who makes me happy?” Sophie snarled, prowling towards her.

“Because in all of your years at my school, Sophie, I’ve only seen you happy in the company of one person,” said Lady Lesso calmly, holding her ground. “And it isn’t Rafal.”

“Well, in case you weren’t paying attention, Tedros and I aren’t exactly getting alon—”

“It isn’t Tedros either.”

Sophie stopped her advance.

“With Agatha, your soul is complete, Sophie,” said Lady Lesso. “Without her, you’ll never be at peace.”

Agatha’s eyes widened through the door, matching Sophie’s expression.

“But you said she’s my Nemesis,” Sophie scoffed. “You told me to kill her if I could—”

“Because I knew you couldn’t,” said Lady Lesso. “Agatha is your Nemesis. But only because you’ve always believed she has the happy ending you deserved. Everything you’ve done in your fairy tale has been to try and take that happy ending, whether trying to get Tedros for yourself or trying to replace him with Rafal. But what if you had that fairy tale all wrong, Sophie? What if a boy was never your happy ending? What if your happy ending was inside you all this time?”

The Dean gazed at her. “Then Agatha isn’t your Nemesis at all, is she? For a Nemesis is someone who gets stronger as you get weaker, while you and Agatha make each other stronger. Each of you has taught the other about real love. Without you, Agatha could never have opened herself to Tedros. And without Agatha, you could never find the true ending to your fairy tale—which is to let her go to Camelot with Tedros and know that her happiness is yours too. Don’t you see, Sophie? Your only Nemesis in your story is yourself. Because to find true love with another soul, like Agatha has, first you have to find it within. To find a happy ending with someone else, first you have to find it alone. Just as Agatha once did before she met you.”

Sophie shook her head, rage building. “Alone? You think my happy ending is alone? I thought you and me were alike. I thought you were Evil.”

“And I am. Certainly more Evil than you,” said Lady Lesso. “Except the difference between me and you is that I know what Evil means.”