His eyes snapped up. “I don’t know.”
She leaned forward, turning her head slightly. “I’m sorry, dove, but I didn’t quite catch that. What did you say?”
“I said I don’t know.”
Her lips tightened. “What do you mean?”
“She fell in the fountain,” he said. “I held her under, aiming to drown the bitch instead, but then she just vanished.”
The Queen abruptly straightened, her eyes shrewd. “A Magic Mirror?”
“So it would appear,” he hissed. “You forgot to mention that in your debriefing.”
She looked away, violet eyes thoughtful. “She could be anywhere.”
The huntsman barely managed to blink before her fist flew out, connecting with his jaw and sending him reeling backward. Her face was furious, an angry goddess descending on a lowly mortal. “Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me?” she screamed, closing in on him.
He looked stunned, like he still might be seeing stars, as she grabbed him by the collar and yanked his face close to hers.
She held up the dagger. “Mark my words, huntsman. You’re the prey now.”
He laughed, his lip swollen and bloody. “Kill me then. I’m not afraid of dying.”
Her smile was frosted. “No, that would be too kind. I have other plans for you.” Her dark hair fell over his chest as she leaned in. “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done.” She planted a chaste kiss on his cheek and stood.
“Guards,” she called.
Instantly, the same guards as before entered the room.
“Take him to the Hall of Mages,” she said, “and tell them to wait for me.”
The huntsman looked confused as they lifted and dragged him away, emptying out of the room and closing the doors. She swept her robe behind her and circled back to her bed, flopping onto the plush mattress. Eyeing the rose, she reached out and plucked it from its jar, inhaling deeply. She wrapped her fingers around the bloom, squeezing and crushing until its juice ran tiny rivers of red around her fist and dripped onto her lap.
“Can’t sleep?” someone said behind Natalia.
She jumped, crying out.
“Whoa, easy,” Caspar said, holding up his hands. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Where were you?” she asked. It sounded more possessive than she meant it to.
Caspar smirked. “Miss me?”
“No,” she said, crossing her arms. “I was worried something had happened.”
That made his smile even bigger. “You were worried about me?”
She cast him an exasperated look. He had changed shirts sometime during the night. This one was white.
“I was out foraging for food,” he said, still smiling, “and maybe even try to find some game, although I haven’t seen much besides the glow-bugs.”
Tristan’s voice echoed in her head. “Something has them spooked.”
“Were you sleeping and then suddenly became hungry?” she asked, nervously glancing around the woods.
“Well, no.” His voice softened, sounding a bit unsure. “With it being nearly dawn, I figured you might be hungry, when you woke up, that is.”
She blinked, surprised. “Oh.”
He sat down in the grass beside her.
“Did you have any luck?” she asked, now very aware of her empty stomach.
“Yes, actually. I found some honey dots back there in the woods.” He pointed behind him.
“You didn’t eat any, did you?”
“Well, I don’t see why not.”
She smirked. “Maybe you’ll turn into a pig tomorrow. Who knows, they could be enchanted. I wouldn’t trust anything in this place.”
“There is no way I would turn into a pig. It would have to be something a lot more stubborn and headstrong.”
“An ass, then?”
He nearly choked, hitting his chest while part laughing, part wheezing. “Touché, Snow.”
She smiled, though she still felt too nervous to laugh along with him.
“What were you doing anyway?” he asked.
The smile on her face immediately fell, the warmth in her heart replaced by a cold, dead hole. “I was watching something in the pond.”
“There are fish in there?” he asked hopefully. He leaned forward, peering into the water.
“No, nothing like that,” she said. “The pond, it’s… well, it’s not ordinary.”
He frowned at the water and sat back on the grass. “How so?”
“Do you know what Magic Mirrors are?”
Slowly, he turned to stare at her. “This is a Magic Mirror?”
She nodded eagerly.
He blinked and then erupted into laughter. “Good play, my Lady. You almost had me.”
“I’m serious,” she said, slightly affronted.
“Right, and I’m the King of the Faeries.”
“Are you? Your eyes are green enough.”
“I get them from my mother, thank you, and before you ask, no, she had no faery blood in her, far as I know.”
“I’m telling the truth, Caspar.”
“Snow, there haven’t been any stories of Magic Mirrors in years.”
“Maybe you’ve only been speaking to other Barrens,” she said, “since they only show themselves to Charmed.”
He looked a little hurt.
She sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…” The waters stirred, looking peaceful despite the horror she had seen there.
“Hey,” Caspar said, leaning forward to view her face. “What is it?”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “It was horrible. I saw –” She looked at him, hesitating.
“Tell me,” he said gently. “I promise I won’t make fun.”
“… I saw the Queen. She was talking to the huntsman.” Her voice sounded haunted even to her ears. “She knows, Caspar. She knows he didn’t kill me and that I escaped.”
Caspar stared at her for what felt like an eternity before at last taking a deep breath. “All right,” he said, with the type of tone her mother used when trying to calm her down. “Let’s not get too worked up over this.”
Her jaw dropped marginally. “Too worked up? Did you hear a word of what I just said? The Queen knows I’m alive, Caspar.”
“Maybe she doesn’t.”
“What do you mean? I just saw –” She cut herself off. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
His eyes widened, a look of denial on his face. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. Your words, your face, your posture; they say it all for you.” She started to get up, but he grabbed her hand.
“Come now, Snow. Be reasonable.”
“I am being reasonable!”
He winced. “All right. Just please don’t yell? It’s too early to be screamed at.”
She clamped her mouth shut, glaring at him. “I know what I saw.”
He glanced at the pond then back at her. “Can you show me?”
“The Queen?”
He nodded. “Or whatever it was you saw. If this really is a Magic Mirror, then you should be able to summon the image again.”
She sat and turned her upper body back toward the pond, trying to wish away the sudden jitters in her stomach. Her gaze locked with the pond and a blush crept to her cheeks. She could still see Caspar from the corner of her eye, watching and waiting.
“Show me,” she whispered, thinking of the Queen.
Her mind was racing. It was like the scene she witnessed was zooming through time, over and over again, the sound and movements a blur because they were moving so fast.
The waves picked up and something flickered just below the surface.
Caspar tensed, leaning forward.
Her teeth ground together as her brows knitted in concentration. “Come on,” she growled, balling her dress up in her fists. “Show me.”
The images in her mind sped by faster, fueled by the growing seed of doubt planted in her heart.
&nb
sp; Caspar held perfectly still, eyes glued to the water. The pond’s surface trembled and shook like the ground itself was vibrating.
Natalia blinked, feeling a powerful wave of dizziness crash into her.
Caspar grabbed her arms to steady her as she tilted forward, nearly toppling into the pond. She shook her head, as if to dispel the dizziness through her ears. Her breath came in quick, short gasps. “My mind is too fried. I can’t control it,” she said.
Caspar was still looking at the pond with an odd, thoughtful look.
She snatched herself out of his grasp and stood, forcing herself to stand up straight despite her wobbling knees. Her fists were still curled at her sides as she paced, eyes stormily fixed in front of her, not really focused on anything.
Caspar stood. “What are you doing?”
“Thinking.”
Damn. What had she seen? The images in her head were still spinning. With great effort, she reached in and pulled them apart, separating them until they were coherent. There was a rose; the Queen had said something when she crushed the flower in her palm.
Natalia froze, going cold all over. “Rose,” she breathed.
Caspar walked up to her. “What did you say?”
She looked at him, wild-eyed. “She’s going to do something to Rose. I know it.”
“You don’t know for sure.” His next words were tentative. “Maybe you ate something that didn’t agree with you, or perhaps it was a trick of the light, a figment of your imagination.”
“Don’t try to tell me what I saw! It was there, I know it was!”
“All right! Then where is it?”
She searched his eyes. “You saw it, too. I know you saw it.”
“I saw the water moving a bit more,” he said, voice harder, “but that could have been a fish.”
“I’m not crazy or ill or whatever else you would believe me to be.” She laid her hands on his chest, gazing up into his face and begging him with her eyes. “Please believe me.”
He tensed at her touch, surprised.
“She’s going to hurt her,” Natalia said. “Even if I didn’t see it, I just have this feeling. I can’t let anything happen to Rose.” She shook her head, eyes dropping. “I can’t.”
Caspar pulled her in, and she settled against his chest, feeling his warmth beneath her fingers. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, and rested his cheek against her hair, rocking her slightly.
She had forgotten what it felt like to be held. Sometimes, Rose and she would hold onto each other, crying and laughing and talking, but this was different. Whereas her sister brought her comfort, Caspar’s touch made her feel protected, like the world couldn’t touch her.
She closed her eyes, surrendering to the calmness spreading within her.
“Why is it when I’m with you,” Caspar murmured, “I feel like this?”
“Like what?”
“It’s hard to describe. Invincible. Surer. Less –”
“– alone,” she finished, straightening. She was keenly aware of how close they were; she could feel the heat of his body seeping into her own, making her knees tingle. She searched his eyes, because it gave her something to focus on besides his lips.
His face was calm, the skin around his eyes wrinkled slightly and making them look like they were smiling. “Do you really want to save your sister?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
“Then you’re going to have to face the Queen.”
Fear shattered her inner peace like a broken mirror, and all the memories of her past came flooding back to her. “I’m not strong enough.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I’m not ready.”
“That’s your fear talking, trying to make excuses for you. You might not be ready yet –” he tilted her chin up – “but you will be. You have to be, if you want to save Rose.”
Her sister’s name sent a surge of protectiveness through her.
“It’s there,” he said, caressing her cheek. “I can see the fire in your eyes, your love for her. If your fear of the Queen is great, make your love for Rose greater. Use it as your strength and your shield.”
Emotions conflicted within her; love, fear and hate all clashed together in a stomach-churning mess. “It may already be too late,” she whispered.
Caspar reached down, taking her hands and clasping them between his own. Gently, he lifted them to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “You can’t think that way, not if you want to succeed. It’s like admitting defeat before you’ve even really tried.”
He was right. She was tired of living in fear. Most of all, she was tired of being angry at her inability to do anything about it.
Now you can. You have the weapon you’ve been wishing for – you.
Something fluttered above them. She turned her head, barely catching a glimpse of white wings as they vanished into the trees. Via’s voice came to the forefront of her thoughts. “The protection spell is still on your sister.”
It brought some relief but not enough to diminish her doubt.
Taking a deep breath, Natalia said, “I don’t want Rose to grow up in this hell.” Her eyes turned to steel, as did her spine. “I’ll do whatever it takes to see that she and the rest of the Thesperians have a better life.”
A slow, proud smile spread over Caspar’s lips. “That’s more like it, Your Highness.”
The sky was lightening, turning pale blue. Dawn was upon them.
Golden rays broke the horizon, painting everything with bright yellow light. Sunbeams caressed the pool, shimmering orange and yellow on the crests of the waves.
“Amazing,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen a sunrise since I was a little girl.”
“If you think this is impressive, you should see dawn at Elyon, where you’re practically even with the sun.”
“I want to go there,” she said, “to your kingdom.”
He smiled as the sun hit his face, lighting up his hair like a halo. “Then I’ll have to take you there someday.”
She didn’t miss the sad note on the last word. “If we survive this” it seemed to say.
Her heart swelled as sunshine flooded the clearing, spearing the plants with yellow beams and making everything twinkle like crystal. The light kissed her skin, warming it.
The desire to see more of the world, to frolic in sunshine and fields of real flowers that didn’t slice her hand open when she held them, filled her. She needed this, needed Rose to see that the world could be beautiful.
“Enough stalling,” Natalia said. “We need to figure out a way to break the binding contract.”
“I couldn’t agree more. But first, we should eat. Follow me.”
Feeling a little impatient but unable to hide the bemoaning of her empty stomach, she jogged after him into the woods.
Caspar knew immediately where to look. A bush sat not too far from the clearing, bulging with plump yellow fruit.
“I forgot honey dots grew here until I stumbled upon these earlier,” he said, plucking one and handing it to her. “Be careful. Pieces of it are still metallic, but for the most part it’s edible.”
She remembered seeing the fruit from her childhood. Despite being a queen, her mother loved to cook. During the summer, they would sit in the garden, licking their fingers of the remnants of a honey dot pie she had made. It had been years since Natalia tasted one. It was a little late in the year, but honey dot bushes grew throughout the region. It was one of the staple foods of Thesperia, often used in making pies and cobblers because of its sugary taste.
They sat down to eat, and Natalia eagerly bit into the fruit.
“Ouch!”
Something hard rolled along her tongue. She spit it out in her hand. It was a seed, nothing more than a lump of metal.
“Told you,” Caspar said.
She ran her tongue along her aching tooth. “Someone could choke on these.”
He held up his hand. “I already did. That’s how I knew t
o warn you.”
They ate in silence for a while, thinking.
“Do you have any ideas for breaking the spell?” she asked.
He munched thoughtfully; yellow juice dribbled down his chin into his stubble. “I was thinking you might be able to break it on your own, if you can channel your power through the blood crystal.”
She glanced down at the necklace, feeling stupid for not having thought to use it before.
They finished eating, and she crossed her legs, propping her back up against one of the trees. Its bark was fairly flat, though hard as a rock.
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs to the brim before slowly expelling the air.
“Good,” Caspar said. “Feeling relaxed?”
“As relaxed as one can be with a death threat hanging over her head.”
“Close your eyes.”
She did.
“Now feel the crystal.”
She started to reach up.
“No, not literally.” He sighed. “You need to feel for it with your mind.”
Her hand dropped back in her lap and she opened her eyes. “How exactly do you know all this?”
“I don’t.” He grinned. “I’m just making it up as we go along.”
“Fantastic.”
“Shush,” he said playfully. “Concentrate.”
Humoring him, she relaxed and closed her eyes.
“Now picture the crystal. Imagine every detail, the color, everything. Focus only on it.”
She sat very still, concentrating. Random thoughts of Rose, Via, Caspar, and the Queen all bumped into one another in her mind. When she made to push them away, they refused to go.
“I can’t,” she said, gritting her teeth. “I have too much on my mind.”
“Try harder,” he said more forcefully.
She turned her attention back to her inner thoughts.
“Focus on your breathing,” he murmured.
Her breathing gradually slowed. With every breath, her heart calmed. One by one, her thoughts disappeared, leaving an empty slate in her head.
“Think of the crystal…”
It formed slowly; the crystal rose out of the darkness like a red beacon, rotating on its point. The image solidified and that’s when she felt it, a river of energy running through her. “I can feel it,” she whispered, her mind still locked onto the river.
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