Ellie's Flames BOOK 2

13: The Two Towers

Why. Out of all the people after me, WHY.

Mother Gothel smiles a thin smile at me. She doesn't seem to be in her prime anymore. Her poofy hair is streaked with gray, her clothes tight on her body, and her skin just a little wrinkly. Still gorgeous, but...

And the other woman, Carlos' mother, Cruella De Vil, grins at me and wiggles her fingers in the air. Her coat, much like Carlos' outfits, is covered in black-and-white fur, with splashes of red. Right now she's wearing a red dress that falls to her ankles, with a huge furry-white overcoat that has black spots on it like a cheetah. Her eyes watch me in a way that makes me wonder if she isn't a teensy bit crazy, and her hair reminds me of Einstein.

Sera groans.

Pitch glances at her. "I assume you know them, girl?"

"Duh. Mother Gothel, Queen of Kidnaping. And Cruella De Vil, the mama of Icy's nerdy boyfriend." Sera says, her voice tight as she tries to force humor into herself. I can't imagine why she's so uptight about it.

I mean, other than the fact that I'm dating one of my kidnapper's children...

I clear my throat. "Any particular reason that you two are after me?"

Mother Gothel scoffs, rolling her eyes. "As if we'd just tell---"

"Ohhh, I'm here to get my revenge on little miss Steal-My-Son, right Baby?" Cruella cackles and squeaks a miniature stuffed puppy at her shoulder.

Pitch puts his face in one hand, sighing.

I press my lips together hard to hold back a smile.

Cruella seems to realize she looks like an idiot, because she just straightens her coat and indignantly moves back. Gothel rolls her eyes and puts one hand on her hip. "As I was saying, we're each here for reasons of our own."

"And... Sera?"

"Oh, she was an accident." Gothel waves her hand nonchalantly. "Boogey's henchmen---"

A loud snort-giggle-cackle comes from Sera's cell. All of us turn toward her, and I'm only mildly surprised to find that she has a wide grin on her face.

"Y-yer name is B-b-boogey?" She points a trembling hand at Pitch. Laughter shakes her whole body, and part of me is kind of shocked she hasn't broken a rib by holding back her laugh---

"BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

---ter.

Pitch swells in anger. "Shut up, girl! Shut up!"

"---AHAHAHAHA---"

"SHUT UP!" Pitch roars.

"---AHAHAHAHA---"

"Oh, please, girl, it isn't that funny." Gothel says, rolling her eyes.

"---AHAHAHAHA---"

"Sera, maybe you should shut up." I suggest, noticing Pitch is turning a brilliant, angry red. It compliments his pasty skin quite nicely, if I do say so myself. But villains turning red is often quite a bad sign.

"---AHAHAHAHA---"

"Can we kill her, maybe?" Cruella suggests.

"I'd like to see you try." I tell her, not even bothering to get up.

"---AHAHAHAHA---"

"Okay, she has five seconds and then I'm going to murder her." Gothel drawls, sounding bored. "Five---"

"---AHAHAHAHA---"

"---four---"

"---AHAHAHAHA---"