What the Heart Wants (Sequel to Pixie Dust Never Lies)

Chapter 16

I awoke slowly and groggily. There was no light, or at least it seemed like it. There was a harsh, metallic taste in my mouth. Was it blood? No, it didn't taste right. Wait...where was I? Suddenly I remembered everything that happened. My eyes shot open and I sat up, looking around me. I was in my vault, sitting on one of my wooden chests. Across from me, sitting in my chair, was Spencer.

"What the hell..."

"Hello, Madam Mayor," said Spencer. "I was wondering how long it would take."

"How long what..." I asked. Then I saw an empty vial on the dresser next to Spencer. I recognized that vial: it had come from my vault. It was a revival potion, used to wake someone up, particularly if the person was forcefully knocked out. "You knocked me out to take me here, then woke me back up? Why?"

"You'll see in a moment," Spencer said. "Right now I think you have more important things to worry about."

I don't know what he was taking about, but in that moment I didn't care. I wanted to give Spencer what he deserved. I tried to stand up and attack him, but my hand didn't follow the rest of my body. I was jolted back into my seat. When I looked down I saw that one of my hands was cuffed to a pipe next to the wall. More than that, however, I saw the black cuff that blocked my magic. "Damn."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Spencer chuckled.

"But you don't have magic. How did you..." Then I recalled the red dust, and its faint floral scent. "Poppies," I concluded.

"Correct," Spencer confirmed.

"But why? Why would you be helping Cora? And why did she inlist your help?"

"Well, Cora heard that I had already tried to stop this...realationship, if you can even call it that, and came to see me. Also, I'm just about the only sane person left in this town who hasn't been swayed by the Charmings to accept this abomination, so she didn't have much choice in who to turn to. As to my motivation, David still hasn't paid for how he betrayed me after refusing King Midas's daughter, and running off with that bandit, Snow White. So now, since he still refuses to pay for what he did, his debt falls on his daughter." Spencer laughed cruelly. "Oh, and what a sweet payment it will be."

"Aaaaggggh!" I cried out as I lept up and reached out to scratch his face or rip out his heart. I'd forgotten about my cuffed hand, however, and felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as I was, once again, jerked back roughly. I groaned in frustration and pain, glaring at my captor.

"It's no use. Without your magic, you won't be able to get free." He sat back in the chair, getting comfortable. "Why don't you relax, Regina? I'm under strict instructions not to hurt you. There's some water there for you." Hr gestured to my right, where a glass was sitting well within my reach. "I would get up and serve it myself, but I imagine it would not be wise to get within your reach."

I laughed without humor. "You'd be right." I resisted the temptation to drink--I didn't want anything from Spencer or my mother--but the metallic taste in my mouth was only getting worse, and after a minute I couldn't take it. I took the goblet and took a couple of grateful gulps. Compared to my previous condition, the water tasted delicious. The uncomfortable taste all but disappeared.

Spencer looked at his watch. "It's just about time..." Spencer turned around. "Ah, here we are." Then he turned back to me and grinned maliciously.

"What are you talking about?"

Spencer didn't answer. Instead he stepped aside to reveal a mirror, my mirror. It showed the well, surrounded by trees, and my mother standing next to it. What the hell could this be? Why was I watching this?