Faetality |✓|

Chapter Twenty, Part Three - A Gift of Blood and Bone

"I apologize, sister," said Tanise finally, as her grip on my hair tightened brutally. "Tamsyn is... braver than we thought. We didn't expect the Sorcerer to allow her to come here alone. But for some reason he did."

Titania sighed.

"Failure disappoints me. As do split ends." The Ice Queen glanced about her, her eyes flitting from the terrified Sienna, to the unconscious Juliette, to her faithfully murderous subject Ellara, and finally back to the doting sister who was prepared to do anything for her - including killing their own niece. "But no matter. I am here now and for the time being that is what's most important."

"You crazy bitch - you'll never find him," I spoke with a tired laugh, swiftly gaining the Queen's attention. "It doesn't matter that you're here, and it'll matter even less if you kill me. Because Westley's magic still protects him. That's a spell you won't break."

The Queen smiled in icy approval, gathered her skirts, and began to walk towards me. And when Ellara eagerly stepped forward, attempting to greet the Queen, Titania lifted a hand and casually mushed the woman in the face, forcing Ellara backwards and out of her path. But Ellara, who was neither harmed nor humiliated, only continued to gape adoringly at the Queen like a deer who stares into headlights.

"That is true - I might not break the spell my dear," said the Queen. "But rest assured that after you're dead and gone, I can break your family, and your friends, and any other silly little Humans I see fit to torture. Because I highly doubt that you are the only one with knowledge of the Sorcerer's whereabouts."

A dread swifter and colder than any snowfall washed across my heart. Because she was right. Once I died, Westley would be forced to run and there would be nothing to stop any of them from killing my family, my friends. If I died, the whole world would fall apart.

"Don't worry, Tamsyn," said Titania, reaching up and un-fasteninig the white butterfly that had been in her hair. For one brief moment it came alive in her hands, twitching its dreaded wings. "I know you won't give him up; clearly that icky little heart of yours is just begging you to die for the man. And when he too takes his final breath, I'll be sure to remind him that none of this would've been possible if it hadn't been for you." She reached out and in return I flinched as she affixed the butterfly to my hair. "By the way, I don't forgive you for killing my Slaugh." she said with all the severity of a teacher admonishing her pupil. "I'd kill you myself for that, but at the moment I'm much more interested in ice cream. Tanise, be a doll and help my beloved Ellara to clean up this mess. And do me one more little favor - kill Tamsyn gently. She is, after all, family."

And with that, the Ice Queen gathered her skirts once more and walked serenely from the clearing, humming a little tune.

Wasting no time, Tanise withdrew the knife and kicked me square in the back, sending me face first into the snow. Experiencing degradation and fury more than distress, I wiped away the snow and dirt, and twisted around to face my killer. The last thing I would give her was a chance to stab me in the back. If she was going to murder her sister's daughter in cold blood, she'd have to look me in the face as she did it.