CH.23 Demons of my own
At night, Iris sneaked away from the prince back to Anastasia's, her chambers. Anastasia sat quietly on a chair. Her disheveled hair fell in her face. The candlelight revealed her bruised wrists as she struggled to free herself from the tight grip of the rope.
She woke up. Panic and fear played in her eyes. She started to twitch again. She whimpered, but no sound came out of her throat.
"Calm down!" Iris told her irritably.
She calmed down a little, but she was still trembling. Tears glistened in her eyes. Iris took off the scarf that was stealing her voice.
"Please, let me go," she pleaded in a weak voice.
"Not that I'm sorry, but it's not possible," Iris said. "What do you think it would look like? I let you go, you run to the prince and your mother and tell them I kidnapped you and pretended to be you? I can't let you do that, Anastasia?"
"Iris?" she said in surprise.
"Wait. You just realized it was me?" she laughed. "You're dumber than I thought."
"Let me go now!" she said angrily and imperiously. "When Mom finds out—"
Iris silenced her with a gesture of her hand.
"What will she do to me? Will she kill me? I can assure you she will never find out, and before she has the chance, I will get rid of you both."
"If you want to get rid of us, then why am I still alive?"
"Because I prepared fate worse than death for you."
"Let me go, you psycho!"
Iris just laughed. She liked the fear she smelled from her. Even though she remained kind of cheeky when she found out it was her.
"You better calm down, or you won't get the gift I brought you."
She disappeared into the bedroom for a split second and returned with a tray full of food.
"It's definitely poisoned," Anastasia snapped.
"Like I said, I still want you alive... For now."
She laid down the tray of food on her lap. She took the bowl of soup and fed her like a little child. It was nothing Iris wasn't used to. She had to do it every time Anastasia caught a cold in the rainy weather or got sick in the winter, even though she was playing the spoiled child that she was.
Anastasia spat soup in her face. "It's cold."
Iris clenched her fist. She controlled herself so she wouldn't paunch her and spill the soup on her head. She picked up the tray and carried it aside.
"If you don't like it, I can starve you."
"No!" Anastasia gasped, shocked by the thought. "Just not that, please."
"I like it when you beg. You should do it more often."
"Could you please give me a glass of water, please? You've left me tied up here all day, and I'm dying of thirst. Please. Please, Iris."
She poured water into a glass and gave it to her to drink. She took deep sips of water. It ran down her chin.
"More, please." She couldn't get enough.
Iris gave her as much water as she asked to moisten her mouth. She sat on the edge of the bathtub and fixed her stony expression on her stepsister.
"And now we'll talk."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"You will tell me everything you and the queen talked about, everything she taught you. And I also want to know your mother's plans. I don't want to be left behind in anything."
"Never. I'm not stupid enough to tell you. I won't help you replace me."
"We can do it in a good way or a bad one." Iris played with the knife. She gently tested the sharpness of the tip of the blade with her finger. "The choice is yours."
"You don't dare do that."
"Are you sure about that? I've already shed some blood today. And I really don't like you. I'll shed your blood with great pleasure."
Anastasia hesitated for a moment, looking at the twisted smile that graced her lips. Her eyes were filled with madness. She had gone completely mad.
"I won't tell you anything." But she refused anyway.
Iris stepped toward her. She grabbed her shoulders tightly, digging her nails into her flesh. "As you wish," she told her with a perverse pleasure. She hoped he would say that.
She covered her mouth with the magic scarf again to silence her screams. She grabbed the handle of the knife and stabbed it into her thigh. She felt it hit the bone. Anastasia screamed without a sound. The pain spread through her entire body, piercing her thoughts.
"Do you want to continue? I can do this all night."
Anastasia shook her head. Her tears were flowing rapidly.
"Okay. So let's continue the conversation."