I updated! Rejoice! :P Hope you guys like this chapter!

Special thanks to Thalion Estel, who has faithfully review each chapter so far. Your input means so much to me!

Edmund entered her tent. Kloi could see that he was pale, and shaken. The girls had sent word then. Aslan was dead.

Kloi had known when Susan and Lucy left the tent. She had debated following them, but knew that her place was in the camp. She had been lying awake all night, even before the girls left. Knowing what was coming, how could she sleep?

"Kloi?" Edmund said softly, coming to her bed to shake her awake. He was surprised when she sat up before he reached her.

"It is done?" She asked softly. "Is he gone?"

Edmund stared at her in the dimness of the tent. "You knew?"

Kloi flopped back down and stared at the ceiling. "I knew."

"Why didn't you stop him?"

Kloi raised her head and looked at him. "There was no other way, Edmund. His life was the only one Jadis would ever take in exchange for yours. I'd have gone, if she'd have taken me instead. But the only one she would accept was him."

"He should have let her have me." Edmund's voice was low and raw with grief and guilt.

Kloi sat up and grasped his shoulders tightly. "No, Edmund. We need you. All four of you. There must be four – four. Two daughters of Eve, and two sons of Adam. Without you, we could never hope to be rid of her."

Edmund bowed his head. "And without Aslan – what hope do we have?" He whispered.

Kloi sighed. "He would not have gone if there was no hope. I do not know what hope there is, Edmund, but I know that there is hope."

"At least we have you with us." He replied, trying to be optimistic. "If anyone can challenge Jadis, it's you. And you have magic too, right?"

Kloi smiled slightly. "Yes, you have me. And I do have magic. I'm not sure how much help one magic-wielder can be – but better that I'm with you than that I'm against you, no matter what your siblings think. Now let's go. I'm sure Peter didn't send you in here to have a long heart-to-heart with the Witch's daughter."

"He's arrogant and stupid." Edmund said suddenly, just before they exited the tent. "To suspect you, I mean."

"He didn't see everything that you saw, Edmund. All he knows is that I'm the daughter of the person who is trying to kill his family. That's enough to make any protective older brother suspicious."

"He should trust me, though. I told him that's not what you are. I told him – "

"You have learned a great deal while you have been here. Haven't you?"

"Yes."

"So has Peter. Are you done learning now, just because you've learned some things?"

"…No."

"Neither is Peter. I would rather that he didn't suspect me, but I am not angry or hurt that he does. It is enough – be content. You trust me, and for that I thank you. Peter will come around, I think. Lucy already has, and I believe that Susan is working on it. I am content with that. Don't take up an offense on my behalf."

Edmund sighed, and fell silent. Kloi frowned, and spoke again.

"Thank you for caring, Edmund. It means a great deal to me."

His face was graced with the ghost of a smile, then he became sober again. He seemed to be deep in thought. "Kloi?"

"Yes?"

"Does… Did Jadis ever love you?"

Kloi sighed and felt tears come to her eyes. She had always longed for the love of a mother and/or father – something that she felt she'd never have.

"No." She'd answered softly.

Edmund hugged her gently. "It's strange." He said quietly. "I've only known you for a few days, and one of those days you were pretending to be my captor – but I feel like you are my third sister."

Kloi felt herself laugh, and was surprised that she was able to do so just now. "If I'm your sister, am I allowed to call you "Ed" like the others do?"

"Sure." He grinned at having cheered her up some.

Her eyes twinkled, and she got a very mischievous look on her face. "Can I call you Eddie?"

Edmund sighed. "If you want."

She giggled and kissed his cheek. "Alright then, Eddie it is." Her smile was bright and teasing. "I wonder how Qillaq would feel about my having another brother." She muttered to herself, but she knew that he wouldn't mind as long as she was happy.

Edmund rolled his eyes and they went out. Peter was waiting impatiently, and raised an eyebrow at his brother. Evidently he wasn't happy that they had taken so long. Edmund ignored his irritation, and Kloi did as well.

The next hours were spent with making battle plans and other preparations. Kloi didn't have a moment to herself until just before sunrise, when she was putting on her armor and weapons. Jadis had always insisted that Kloi be every inch the perfect "lady". Kloi preferred her loose pants and graceful tops, but Jadis usually made her wear form-fitting, revealing dresses.

The armor that Aslan provided for her was definitely not something Jadis would be happy with. Leather pants were strengthened with metal plates on her shins and thighs and were tucked into sturdy boots. Over this she wore a soft tunic for comfort's sake, and over that a leather tunic. To top it all off, she wore a mail shirt – though the mail only reached to her elbows. She had her usual weapons as well. Her sword hung on her right hip – she was left handed – and her axe on her left. She had a dagger in each boot, and one strapped to each forearm. Two more were stuck into the tight bun she had put her hair in. On her back she had two long knives, strapped in an X so that they were easily reachable. A leather strap was placed diagonally across her chest, on it were about ten tiny knives in their respective sheaths. These were obviously for throwing.

Kloi gave her bow a look, but decided against taking it. It and her quiver belonged on her back, so it was hard to carry both her bow and her knives. Since Narnia had many good archers and she would mostly be engaging in close combat, she decided that she would need the knives more.

By the time she was geared up, the troops were ready. Kloi made sure that her crystal was secure on its chain about her neck, and slipped out of her tent. Edmund glanced at her as she stood beside him, and gave her a small, nervous smile.

"You'll be fine." She whispered softly, her words meant for his ears only.

He smiled nervously again, and muttered, "Hope so."

Peter glanced at Kloi, but there was no warmth in his eyes. Evidently he was still suspicious of her. She suppressed a sigh, and stayed beside Edmund as the army began to move.

An hour later, everyone was in position. Kloi stood on the ridge beside Edmund – she had refused to leave his side – and watched as the griffon scout they had sent out returned and gave its report to Peter. Moments later, the Witch's army came in sight. Kloi tensed as her mother appeared on top of a small hill, in a chariot-type thing pulled by polar bears.

Edmund glanced at her. "Polar bears?"

Kloi rolled her eyes and nodded. "What can I say? She has a flair for the dramatic. Plus, they won't let a thing near her, so she's as safe as can be – even in the middle of a battle."

Edmund made a wry face.

"We'll get her though." Kloi murmured.

He grinned suddenly. "Of course. We've got you with us, don't we? You know everything about her and how she works. If anyone can take her down, it's you."

Kloi sighed suddenly. "I… I don't want to, Edmund. All I ever wanted was to have a family. I want her to be a real mother, to love me. But she sent my brother away, and all I've ever been to her is a well-trained slave…"

Edmund took her hand. "You have family." He whispered. "You have your brother, and you have me. Your adopted brother. We are a family, Kloi. We both love you, Qillaq and I. If you need to kill her, you will find the strength."

She flashed him a grateful smile, but said softly, "The only way I could harm her is if she tries to hurt you again."

Edmund was clearly startled, but didn't get the chance to comment. Peter signaled the charge, and the battle began.

It was a long and grueling fight. The Narnians, despite their fewer numbers, held up well against the waves of evil creatures that they faced, but it was only a matter of time until they could fight no more. They were vastly outnumbered and quickly losing strength, but their enemies kept sending in fresh fighters. To top it all off, the Narnians' main general, Orieus, was turned to stone by the Witch, and she was now making the rounds and turning to stone ever Narnian in her path. The outcome of the battle seemed certain.

That was when Peter turned and caught Edmund's eye. "Edmund – there's too many! Get out of here! Get the girls, and get them home!"

Edmund nodded sharply once, and Mr. Beaver showed up. He pulled Edmund away and cried, "You heard him, let's go!"

Kloi met his eyes, but said nothing. She couldn't ask him to stay when his family was in danger, but she knew that without all four Pevensies Narnia would never be freed. Edmund seemed to see her thoughts in her eyes. He hesitated, then his gaze moved past her to something behind her – end his eyes widened. He jerked away from the well-meaning beaver.

"Peter said get out!" Mr. Beaver objected.

"Peter's not king yet!" Edmund retorted, and ran down the hill past Kloi with a yell. She turned in time to see him jump off a ledge above Jadis, swinging at her wildly.

Jadis pulled out of the way with a sadistic gleam in her eye. Now was her chance to finish off the Son of Adam.

"Edmund!" Kloi cried.

As Jadis thrust her wand forward to turn him to stone, Edmund moved back and out of the way. He brought his sword down hard, shattering the wand. Kloi gaped at the flash of blue magic that blew from her mother's wand all over the battlefield. Without her wand, Jadis couldn't do any magic! Edmund must have remembered her telling him about the magical constraints of her kind.

Jadis stared at her broken wand for the briefest of moments, then glared at Edmund with such hatred that it made Kloi's blood run cold. Before the boy could move, she smashed his sword aside with her own and then stabbed him with the sharp broken end of her wand.

"EDMUND!" Kloi screamed.

At the sound, Peter swung around – just in time to see his little brother crumple to the ground. Jadis calmly stalked past the fallen boy and picked up his sword. She directed her attention to Peter, waiting for him to fight her. It was clear that she knew he would.

Peter stabbed the minotaur he had been fighting and stumbled forward, his rage making it hard for him to think clearly. Kloi leapt from the ledge she was standing on, free-falling to the grassy stretch on which Edmund lay. At the last second, she closed her eyes and teleported.

The Witch stared for a moment as her daughter disappeared, only to appear beside the fallen Son of Adam. She realized that Kloi had been hiding her true magical abilities, and that made her furious. It also gave Peter a moment to attack in which Jadis was distracted. Without that moment, he probably would have fallen dead under her first stroke.

Kloi ignored the fight behind her as she slumped over Edmund, weeping.

"Nononono – stay here, stay with me. Edmund!"

He stared up at her, eyes wide with pain. His breath came in shallow gasps, and Kloi could hear the faint gurgling of blood in his throat. He wouldn't last long.

"Kloi…"

"Sh, it'll be alright." She whispered, tears threatening to fall.

"Peter…" He gasped for breath.

"You shouldn't talk."

"Don't let her… Peter. Please – for me!"

Kloi stared at him, then glanced over her shoulder. She looked back at her friend brother, and nodded slightly.

"I wish I could heal you, but I don't have that kind of power." She whispered. Closing her eyes, she sent as much healing magic as she could through his body. He would last a few more minutes. "I won't let her hurt Peter."

She held back her tears and gently kissed his forehead. Then she stood and turned to the fight between the woman she had once called mother, and the Son of Adam whose life was necessary to end her reign.

She was not a moment too soon. Her mother managed to disarm Peter, and pin him to the ground with a sword through his sleeve. The next blow knocked his shield from his arm, and he lay before her, ready to die. Jadis brought her blade down.

Peter shut his eyes, fully expecting pain to erupt in his chest. Instead, he heard the ringing of metal on metal. He opened his eyes to see Jadis's sword caught on Kloi's.

Jadis pulled back and glared at her daughter.

"You."

"Yes, me." Kloi sneered back. "I will not let you kill him. You took Qillaq away from me – you took Edmund away from me – I will not let you have this one too!"

"Your brother was weak, as you are weak." Jadis returned. "As for the Son of Adam you care about – he is nothing less than pathetic."

Kloi let out an angry scream and her hand flashed. One of her throwing knives flew right past the Witch's head. If Jadis hadn't ducked, she would have died right then.

"All I ever wanted was for you to love me!" Kloi cried, engaging her mother with her blade.

"Then you are as pathetic as him." Jadis spat.

Kloi was shaking with rage, but forced herself to calm down. She knew better than to fight angry – especially when fighting her mother. She continued speaking as if Jadis had never interrupted.

"But you never did. Edmund, however – Edmund is like my brother! He IS my brother, now! And you have killed him! Do you exist only to deprive others of all joy?"

Jadis laughed evilly. "Do you think that I care? Why should I care that you love the stupid boy?"

Kloi was very calm now, furious, but calm. "You have showed that you care nothing for me and never will. Why should you care? Because now there is nothing to stop me from killing you!"

She struck with the strength of her fury, but was careful not to overextend herself. She would not die at her mother's hand, not if she could help it. Dimly she was aware of Peter pulling himself to his feet and running to his brother's side. He cradled Edmund in his arms, whispering soothing words as he stared wide-eyed at the fighting witches.

Jadis and Kloi blocked and parried in a deadly sort of dance. They whirled around each other, constantly looking for an opening or weakness. A strong blow from Kloi sent both their swords flying, leaving Jadis defenseless. Kloi drew one of her knives and advanced on her mother with a murderous look on her face.

Jadis snarled and suddenly rushed forward. Before Kloi could process what was happening or make use of her knife, the Witch's hand closed around her crystal and tore the chain from her neck.

Kloi dropped to her knees with a scream. She was much younger than her mother, and her magic was not quite mature yet. To have the thing that gave her control suddenly torn from her left her in agony.

Jadis stood above her daughter with a look of victory on her face. She picked up the knife that Kloi had dropped and raised it to kill her daughter. To her surprise, ice covered her hands. Fear registered on her face when she realized what was happening.

Kloi's magic was not under her control anymore. It was lashing out, in its purest, rawest form, to protect its owner. Her kneeling form was surrounded by a swirling cloud of ice crystals and mist. Then… She vanished. The cloud disappeared, and so did the ice holding Jadis in place. She stood still a moment longer, and then seemed to shake it off in favor of killing Peter.

She turned and leapt toward him – and Aslan smashed into her from the side.