Soman Chainani

“But sometimes to keep Evil from getting in, you have to let Good out.”

“I've been beautiful all along.”

“But as they grew closer and closer, Sophie had opened Agatha's wings to a love so strong she thought it would last forever. It was she and Sophie against the world. But on that first day of school, watching Sophie with a prince, Agatha realized how blind she'd been. The bond between two girls, no matter how fierce or loyal, changed once a boy came between them.”

“I'm afraid I've already found my Ever After, Hort," said Sophie."What? With who?" Hort asked, aghast."On my own," she said, her voice sure and clear. "I'm happy on my own."And for the first time, she knew it was true.”

“Gently Agatha touched her face in the mirror, glowing from inside. A face no one recognized because it was so happy.There could be no turning back now. The bread crumbs on the dark trail were gone. Instead, she had the truth to guide her. A truth greater than any”

“Everytime you do a Good Deed with true intention, your soul grows purer.”

“Professor Manley begins his first day of Uglification class by explaining why villains must be ugly to succeed. Ugliness releases you from the surface - from the prison of vanity and youur own looks - and sets you free to embrace the soul within.”

“Sophie bristled. “About to die with your beloved prince and still thinking about me. My story will go on without you, Agatha. I don’t need you anymore or your pity, like one of your decrepit cats. I’m no longer your Good Deed.”“But I’m still yours,” said Agatha. “Because without your love, I’d never have become who I really am. So even if I die, I’ll always be your Good Deed, Sophie. And no Evil in the world will ever erase that.”

“[B]eware trying to bend the Truth to fit your story instead of facing it head-on. That was your father's mistake. And that's how a Snake becomes a Lion and a Lion becomes a Snake. Because the more you bend the Truth to fit a story, the more it turns into Lies without you even realizing it.”

“And yet knowing all these mistakes were yours, beautifully yours, and you came out the better for it... the boy I left behind well on his way to becoming an extraordinary man and an extraordinary king." Merlin smiled. "If only from your choice of princess alone.”

“You aren’t jealous that Agatha gets a boy and a crown and a kingdom and everything else?” Hort pressed in disbelief. “You aren’t jealous that Agatha’s a queen?” He saw her stop at the gates, faced away as students streamed past. “A tiny bit, of course,” she said softly. “But then I remember . .  .” Sophie looked back, smiling bright as a diamond. “I’m me.”

“Is it really a Lie if someone is unwilling to see the Truth?”

“Dear girl, it will be a very long road if you spend more time looking backwards than forward.”

“Only once you destroy who you think you are can you embrace who you truly are.”

“She had always found villains more exciting than heroes. They had ambition, passion. They made the stories happen. Villains didn't fear death. No, they wrapped themselves in death like suits of armor! As she inhaled the school's graveyard smell, Agatha felt her blood rush. For like all villains, death didn't scare her. It made her feel alive.”

“The thing Tedros liked about girls is that they always started the conversation. Most of the time, his job was just to listen, ask questions, and try to understand what in God’s name was going on in their complicated little heads. He rarely had any idea what girls were talking about or why they made everything so torturous in their logic, so playing the role of the strong, silent type usually gave him time to catch up.”

“Watching across the aisles, the Nevers' faces began to change. One by one, their scowls turned sorrowful, their eyes melted to hurt. Hort, Ravan, Anadil, even Hester...as if they too wished they could have such joy. As if they too wished they could feel as wanted. Gone was their will to fight, lost to broken hearts, and the villains shrank into silence, snakes drained of venom.”

“To find a happy ending with someone else, first you have to find it alone.”

“Sophie and Agatha locked eyes one last time but neither screamed for the other.Once true loves, the two girls now pulled apart like strangers, each in the arms of a boy, Good with Good, Evil with Evil...Both of their wishes granted.”