Heartfull (Sequel to Heartless by Marissa Meyers) -COMPLETE-

Chapter 1

Raven squaked as he landed on Catherine's shoulder. Another execution, another mess to be cleaned up, the same routine repeated every day. Cath was getting bored even after the bloodcurdling screams of the prisoners. There was a time where instead of killing people who cut the line, she would bake. Back when she had hope and back when she had a heart. She hadn't touched an oven in 3 years, but she still had her baker senses. 

"You did good raven," she told him neutrally as he proudly ruffled his feathers.

She leaned on her propped up arm waiting for the next prisoner to come in. It was about 40 seconds later when she felt the blood rush up to her head and yelled "WHERE IS IT!?"

"W-Where is what, your majesty," The white rabbit asked nervously. His foot was rapidly beating the floor

"The prisoners," Cath said through clenched teeth as a sort of questions,

"Oh um, I'm sure they'll be coming soon," He replied, avioding eye contact

"Well don't just stand there! Do something!" Cath gestured her arm so hard Raven's feathers shook,

"Well, of course," The rabbit said as he walked off sideways, making sure that Cath didn't come up from behind him and chop his head off.

"You really shouldn't be so hard on them you know?" Raven's voice came from her shoulder,

"You can't blame me, they're fools," she rolled her eyes

"So was Jest, you used to call him a fool."

Cath clenched her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. She squeezed her fists into balls until they turned white. She tried to pretend that she wasn't feeling something. Even without a heart, she would sometimes feel a bit of guilt or mercy... or maybe even a little bit of aching in her hollow chest.

She sighed and released her fists, "Well yeah, and now he's gone"

"Come on don't you feel anything?"

"Don't push me, Raven," she muttered under her breath, re-clenching her jaws.

Cath watched as the prisoner was finally being rolled in. She recited her normal speech by heart.

"What is your name?" She asked

A turtle looked up at her she almost felt sympathy for the turtle. Its frail skin was sagging and it's shell was inches too small. His flippers were almost limp and his mouth was hanging open the slightest. Cath shoved all of the emotion away and decided to check how stable this turtle was.

"My name is Tortuga?" The turtle responded, his eyes looked almost completely black and was filled with fear.

"Tortuga, my lovely turtle why was that a question? DO YOU KNOW YOUR OWN NAME?" Cath screamed leaning toward the front of her chair and still gripping the arms of her chair

He hid in his shell as a reflex then decided it was the wrong move, she slowly came out of his shell and waited.

"State your crime," Cath said with such sternness in her voice the turtle flinched.

"I-I have spoken of the previous court joker," The turtle whispered, his frail skin turned sinister and he smiled like Pennywise. "I have spoken of the previous court joker," he said again; this time sure of himself.

Cath inhaled sharply and sat up straight. She could feel Raven's claws digging into her skin. If Raven, who knew Jest spoke of him it was okay because they shared great emotion, but this poor, wretched turtle talking about him was not something they should even be talking about. She saw the disgusting turtle move his mouth but Cath couldn't hear him.