Tarrant's POV
I pulled Mirana back as Pamina lunged for us both. It hurt my heart to see the little girl I loved and protected so cruel and vicious. Her black eyes dominated her face, there was nothing but hate in them. My poor niece. Her hands were claws and tears streamed down her merciless face. Mirana started crying too just like we did when she had gone this mad the first time. She had clutched my cousin's body to her protectively and she would have killed Mirana if Alice and I hadn't stopped her.
'How can you stand there with him! I welcomed you back into my kingdom and you're still blind to what he has done!' She yelled angrily, trying to get at Mirana.
'Sweet one, please.' Mirana pleaded, heartbroken as I was.
'Don't you dare call me that! Daddy calls me that! You are nothing to me and I am going to kill you along with that pathetic Stayne.' She said glaring at me. I stared at her steadily, hoping that sooner or later she'd see someone else. 'I'm going to take off both your heads like how you took off Daddy's.'
She yanked on the chain, the cuff held on to her tight, breaking the skin. The pain enraged her even more and she let out a wordless scream. 'Pamina, sweet one, we love you.' I whispered. She froze and looked up at me differently.
'Daddy?' She called out uncertainly, black eyes swirling with deep blue. I stepped forward. At least she didn't think I was Stayne. She approached wanting to touch me, Mirana watched with wide eyes.
'Tarrant, too dangerous!' She warned me. She was right but I wasn't as strong as her. I couldn't resist, Pamina needed me. Mirana reached out to grabbed my arm to pull me back and it all went downhill.
Pamina's eyes flashed pitch black and she snatched Mirana's wrist, yanking her into her vicinity. She twisted her mother's hand behind her back with a strength that came only from her insanity. Mirana screamed in pain.
'No!' I shouted, Pamina looked at me with hate once more and I knew I had lost her.
'Now, you can watch Stayne, as I rip her ugly head right off her shoulders. Just like I had to watch you.' Pamina positioned her hands at Mirana's neck, forcing her to her knees. Mirana smiled at me and mouthed her goodbye, closing her eyes in resignation. NO!
'Pamina, please, please, stop!' I begged losing my calm. 'You love her. You love me. As we love you. Don't do this!' Tears flowed down my face, my Queen, my childhood friend, was about to die at the hands of my niece.
'It's already done.' She growled. There was nothing I could do. A sob choked out my throat as she began twisting hard but not fast. I could see Mirana's agony. It would be a slow death.
That was when the door was knocked down and Folter ran in, filled with determination.
Folter's POV
I burst in through the door. I couldn't help it. The screaming, I couldn't leave her. But when I saw her, hands poised to kill her mother in such a cruel, cold-hearted way, I was stunned. Her dark eyes glared at me in anger and surprise. Mina… I didn't waste any time. I grabbed her hands and pulled them together to my chest and kept them there. She pulled with such force but I was stronger still. I kept her there as she thrashed around, trying to get away. Her hands ripped at my skin and clothes, tearing the flesh but I was used to pain.
'Mina.' I called, not loud but not too soft either. She stared into my eyes and I stared into hers. Our colours matched but mine was filled with love and hers with hate.
'Folter. Release me.' She responded. She recognized me. That was a start.
'I can't do that. You're too dangerous right now, even to you.' I explained firmly, pulling her close. She growled in frustration.
'She must die. I should have never welcomed her back.' She hissed furiously, struggling as I switched her hands into one of mine so I could put my arm around her.
'We're in Marmoreal. We're in your room and you've just tried to kill the White Queen.' I restated, correcting her. I could see the hurt this revelation brought her but she had to know. She spluttered for awhile but continued staring at me.
'Stayne. Let me kill him then. He deserves it.' She justified, the monster in her calling for blood. I put my other arm around her, encircling her and trapping her hands to my chest and her to me. She squirmed but it was not as strong as before.
'Stayne has been dead for nine years. I killed him. His death was nowhere near as good as the one you would've given him.' I told her and it was true. I knew he wanted her dead, did many things to hurt her. I devised his death and it was the cruelest of all the deaths I had planned.
'Dead? Then who?' She asked confused, looking behind me. Tarrant was nursing Mirana. Her neck was sporting red marks that coloured purple rapidly. She was watching us hopefully and Tarrant was keeping a careful eye out for any signs of further violence from my vicious, ferocious Red Queen.
'Your Uncle Tarrant. Mina, come back to me. Let's talk. After that if you want to kill the former Red Queen I will help you. But come back to me and talk first, please.' I asked. I knew it was a dangerous thing to promise but I knew it would work. The black fled and her eyes changed instantly to sorrowful blue. She turned fragile, vulnerable. I hushed her softly as she made the transition from black to blue mentally and emotionally.
'Folter.' She said with her wide sad eyes, her arms hugging me back tightly, holding on to me. 'What have I done?' She cried brokenly into the wounds she had inflicted, blood smearing on her face though she didn't realize it. I didn't mind it. I just held her and kissed her forehead and made sure she knew I was there for her.
