Chapter 33
T hey rode away from Lighthill as darkness fell, blanketing the path in deep shadows. They headed north to the next village, Brookdale, which was close to the queen’s castle. Snow was quiet as they traveled, thinking about the burned-out elven village, wondering if Elator and Yirrie survived. Wondering, too, if Annilen and her sprites made it away from the fire. She had no way to know. Only that she managed to save most of the forest from the devastation thanks to hers and Roderick’s elemental magic.
And then she thought of William and hoped he was all right.
“We should stop for the night,” Roderick suggested.
She took in their surroundings, but they were out in the open. No trees to hide them and there wasn’t a suitable place to camp for the night. Not even a stream to water the horses.
“And where would that be?” she asked.
He cut her a glance. Though she couldn’t see his expression in the darkness, she knew his gaze bored into her.
“You sound angry,” he said.
“I am angry,” she confirmed. “Angry Seraphina destroyed the village and the forest with fire. Angry she killed my father and took his throne and threw me out like garbage. Angry she killed Ardan.”
“He sacrificed himself—”
“Angry I left the only true home I ever knew.” She turned her head to meet his gaze, but his eyes were nothing more than black orbs in the shadows. “I realize he sacrificed himself to save me. I realize, too, there was nothing within my power to stop Seraphina from killing my father and taking over the kingdom. I was a child.”
She looked away, peering into the deepening twilight. She was angry, too, Roderick pushed her into this journey. Though she understood why he did it, it didn’t make her any less angry. In time, she would forgive him. But for now, she harbored that anger close to her heart because it seemed hopeless. She didn’t have an army. All she had were villagers and farmers who were willing to fight for her and it wasn’t enough.
“I’m sorry, Snow,” he said, his voice low. There was genuine emotion on those three words.
Her eyes drifted closed as she rode on, clutching the reins in her hands until they ached. She heard herself say, “It’s not your fault.”
Though she wanted to place the blame squarely on him. It was no one’s fault but Seraphina’s she was now homeless and left to face an insurmountable task.
“I’m just…worried,” she said finally. “I don’t know how we will defeat her when she has so much more power. Dark power.”
He was silent as they rode. So silent, in fact, she turned to look at him. In the shadows, she saw the pensive look on his face, the pinched expression.
“Perhaps I was wrong to push you into this,” he said at last. “You weren’t ready to leave the Wyldwood.”
There were so many emotions at war within her. Guilt for leaving the forest. Worry for those she left behind. Fear facing her destiny. Perhaps he was right in that she wasn’t ready to leave the forest, but then…would she ever be ready to leave? She knew the day would come. She just didn’t know it would be because the queen sent Roderick to kill her.
“You were right to push me,” she said. “I was hiding from who I was and from Seraphina. It’s time I face her.”
A deep, malicious laugh broke through the shadows and then a puff of smoke appeared in front of them. When the smoke cleared, Seraphina stood before them. They both pulled their horses to a halt.
“Yes, I agree. It’s time you face me. I’ve been following your adventures with the help of my Magic Mirror. It’s quite handy.”
Snow’s gut feeling the queen was watching them was correct. No matter where they went, they would not be able to hide from her.
The queen’s eyes cut over to Roderick, then back to Snow. “Somehow, you managed to get into and out of Westfall without being detected by my soldiers. In Lighthill, you killed my Chief Magistrate. For that, you will pay.”
Snow clutched the reins tighter in her hands as she peered down at Seraphina. Then she slid out of the saddle and moved around the horse to face her. She stood several feet away, her stance menacing. But Snow was not afraid.
“What are you doing?” Roderick said, his voice a roughened whisper.
“Doing what I need to do,” she replied. Then to Seraphina, “Your reign is over.”
“My reign is over when I’m dead.” She lifted her arms.
“So be it,” Snow said.
Seraphina struck then, sending a pulsing stream of magic directly at Snow. Roderick shouted something, but she ignored him. She was ready for that. She dropped to her knees, placing her palms flat on the ground and chanting under her breath, calling to the creatures of the world and the earth beneath her.
The ground rumbled. The horses whinnied with their fear. Her horse galloped away in to the night. Roderick was suddenly at her side, the enchanted dagger in his hand glowing.
“Since you cannot seem to carry out my orders,” she said to Roderick, “I will kill the princess myself!”
She flung another bit of magic at her. Snow curled into a ball and rolled out of the way. Roderick jumped to one side to avoid the blast. His horse had also galloped away. Snow crouched once again on the ground, her hands flat in the grass. She whispered another chant and watched as the grass grew tall, winding around the evil queen’s legs. She cried out in surprise and frustration before she managed to stumble away, stomping on the growing grass to get away from it and kill it.
Snow sensed roots deep within the ground under her hands. Seraphina pushed her palms outward facing Snow and called up another dark spell. She saw it coming but was trying to complete her chant before she moved. The spell smashed into her, shoving her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. She laid on her back, looking up at the cold stars twinkling in the inky night sky. Were those the actual stars or was she seeing things?
Roderick shouted something. She felt his footsteps vibrate the ground as he charged. She wanted to cry out, tell him to stop, but she was too busy trying to catch her breath.
Around her, the sky brightened with more magic and she smelled the tinge of acrid smoke. Gulping in a deep breath, she managed to roll to her side. Roderick was crumpled on the ground at the queen’s feet.
“You are beaten, little one. Give up this madness and I will let you live out the rest of your days in the dungeon,” the queen said.
“Never,” Snow said on a rasp.
Once again, she placed her palms on the ground. This time, she chanted quickly, bringing the roots deep within the earth to life. The ground split around the queen’s feet. She glanced down, horror on her face, as she tried to stumble back. Her foot landed in one of the cracks, turning over her ankle and she fell. The roots erupted from the ground and wrapped around her, trapping her there.
Slowly, Snow climbed to her feet. Whatever dark magic hit her, it left her weak and bone tired. Or that could be from the effects of her own elemental magic. She made her way to Roderick’s side. The enchanted blade was on the ground in front of him, no longer glowing. She pressed two fingers against his neck. A faint pulse beat there. Thankfully, he was still alive.
Seraphina struggled on the ground against the roots and vines that trapped her. She cried out in frustration, her agitation clear on her face.
Snow moved toward her, standing over her and looking down at her. She pitied the woman who had wanted to be something more than she was—a peasant girl. She’d managed to achieve so much, but at the cost of precious lives.
“It is you , Seraphina, who will live out the rest of your days in the dungeon of my castle. You will never again see the light of day,” Snow said.
A brief flash of panic went over her face as she looked up at her and then she laughed, that deep guttural, menacing laugh.
“You think you have beaten me. You are wrong.”
The queen’s hands were still free. She managed to twist them and then disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving behind the roots and vines resting limply against the cracked ground.
A groan behind her made her turn and drop to her knees next to Roderick. He came to, his eyes fluttering open. She helped him to a sitting position.
“What happened?”
“She got away.”
His gaze landed on the destroyed ground. “You tried to capture her.”
“Tried. Failed. I forgot about her magic.” She helped him to his feet. “Are you all right?”
“I shouldn’t have charged her,” he said. “Her blast of magic was rather painful.”
Whatever she did to him, it hit him harder than when the queen’s magic hit her. “Let’s find the horses and go.”
He nodded, picking up the dagger and sheathing it. But as they searched for the horses, the ground rumbled. A different rumble than when Snow used her elemental magic to manipulate the earth. This was deeper and sounded more like a horde of animals. They both froze. She gripped his hand, moving closer to him.
“What is it?” Her voice was a whisper.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s over with the queen.” He nodded to the distance.
There, she saw a black shadow rolling toward them. She sensed something sinister in that cloud of smoke, making all the hairs on her neck stand at attention. Roderick turned to her, gripping her by the shoulders.
“Run!”
They started to run away from the black cloud, but it was rolling in fast. She stole a glance over her shoulder and realized it was approaching at a rapid pace. They would never outrun it. And there was no place to hide on the flat plain. No trees. No nothing. A choked sob escaped her.
“Roderick—”
He reached for her, wrapping his arm around her just as the cloud overtook them. It was the last thing she remembered before darkness overtook her and then there was nothing at all.
Seraphina stood over the unconscious couple. Roderick’s arm was still wrapped around Snow as though he tried to protect her. They lay sprawled in the middle of the throne room on the cold stone floor.
“Well, aren’t they sweet,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain. “I should have known he wouldn’t be able to kill her. What a weakling.”
She bent and snatched the enchanted blade from the sheath at his waist. The steel glistened in the flickering candlelight of the room. She examined it for a long moment before handing it off to her Captain of the Guard, Erick. Then she noticed a sheath at Snow’s waist, which was similar to his. She removed the dagger. When she held it up, she realized it was the very one she had commissioned from the blacksmith to kill Snow White.
A spurt of rage went through her. She handed that one off to him as well.
“Do what you will with those,” she said with a wave of her hand.
“And what do you want to do with the two of them?” he asked.
She tapped a finger against her chin. “What, indeed. I suppose I could kill them both now and get it over with. Or allow them to wake on their own and have a little fun with them.”
“Fun, my queen?” He lifted a brow in question. “You mean torture.”
She laughed, the sound deep in her throat. “I do. Won’t that be delightful, Erick? Bring me two chairs and rope. Let’s see if our little elemental enchantress still has powers when she’s away from nature.”