'Hi.' Bonnie said. 'Excuse us for a moment.'
Suddenly she was yanking Enzo by the arm and back out of the door, into the empty corridor outside.
'Are you crazy? His sister- the murdering sister?' Her whisper reverberated against the walls.
'No and no. Look, before you get angry at me, you should know that's not entirely correct- she didn't-'
'It doesn't matter!' From her right came a sharp thud and they paused. Enzo matched her quick stare, striding over to the direction of the noise and taking a second to investigate the area.
When he was satisfied they were alone he sped back to her and she continued, quieter. 'She's meant to be imprisoned.'
'She didn't do it.' That still didn't seem to convince her. 'Five minutes. If it doesn't change your mind I will say no more, I'll even leave you alone for as long as you like.'
She took a second to process it. It wasn't like there was any other choice, but to listen to her. Bonnie wasn't about to call the guards on someone who looked as fragile as Jo did.
'Five minutes.' She warned him, opening the door up behind her to return to the guest. Jo was standing when she came in.
'Are you going somewhere?' Bonnie asked, confused.
'No sorry I just-' Jo nodded and sank back down, preparing her next set of words very carefully.
'I heard what you said out there, I didn't mean to, I swear, the door seems to let in a lot of sound.' She gave a nervous chuckle and watched Bonnie head to her seat behind the desk.
'You had something to tell me?' Bonnie smiled slightly as she said, urging Jo to relax a little as she played with her nails.
'Right, yes, um.' She swallowed thickly. 'I didn't do it. The murder, I mean. I didn't murder them, my family. This is going to sound strange, but it was Kai. My brother murdered them and he used…' She seemed to have to dig deep for the courage to say the word, 'magic.'
'What kind?'
'Magic.' Jo repeated, confused at the question and how readily the Queen was to accept it's existence.
'I know but what kind? Did he use some sort of magical artifact or does he have his own magic? Because it's a very big distinction.' She reflected on seeing him moments earlier. Being in that close proximity to him she would have felt it if he had magic. But all she could sense was her own.
'I don't know how he did it,' Jo replied, the sudden fear of being turned away for not knowing striking her.
Bonnie didn't say a word, giving her the time to think about how to communicate her brother's guilt.
'It was dinner time.' Jo started, finally deciding to recount the story in full. They deserved that much, to have the truth of their murders retold, used to bring their murderer to justice. 'We were talking about Kai funnily enough. He wanted to marry you-'
'What?' Bonnie and Enzo asked simultaneously.
Bonnie asked to verify the absurdity she just heard. Enzo asked to clarify the understanding that he'd just bought a loose end right to his front door. This conversation was about to turn dangerous in a matter of seconds and unravel his deceit. If Bonnie put the pieces together about what he'd done there was no going back. She had her magic once more and couldn't be compelled to forget. So he did the only thing he could fathom. Sit there quietly and pray Jo didn't give him away.
'He sent me a letter while he and Lucas were staying here- Lucas liked you too, by the way. He sent me a whole two pages full of how smart and kind you were, I think he was a little in awe of you.' There was fondness on her face as she reminisced about her brother, until she returned to the other and it only held heartbreak. 'I thought I knew why when I read Kai's letter. He said that he wanted to marry you too, and he wanted me to plead to our father about it. Obviously dad said no, and you and Lucas got engaged. A good thing too, but like I said… We were sitting down to dinner one night,' she sighed, looking past Bonnie and to the window behind her. 'I was talking dad into forgiving Kai and we were eating, steak- I remember because bits of my food kept going missing and the steak somehow cut itself. I was talking and then I remember looking up at my father's face, he'd gone quiet and he looked in pain. Then blood started dripping down his mouth and he- he died…' Jo took a breath to steady herself, letting eyes take on a glaze to protect her from the intense pain the memories were bringing. 'While I was so focused on him he- Kai,' she choked on his name, 'he killed the other's too. I couldn't see him, I can't explain it, but I know it was him. And then I was screaming and somehow there was a knife in my hand.'
She rushed through the end of the recollection, realising midway how unbelievable the story sounded and already deciding Bonnie was going to turn her away. But when she mustered up the strength to look the Queen in the eyes she saw only terrible sadness. Intense enough to burn through her, holding empathy and resignation.
'Like he was invisible.' Bonnie repeated, looking at Enzo this time to check the conclusion they shared. 'A cloaking spell?'
'A cloaking spell.' He confirmed, trying not to look gleeful as he solidified Kai's monstrous nature in her eyes. She couldn't marry him now. Not this version of her, with no love for him left. Not after Enzo sealed it away. Instead Bonnie was left with this single option. She stood up, coming closer to Jo and kneeled before her, wrapping her palm over Jo's shivering fingers. Kai's fate wasn't her decision to make. It belonged to his sister.
'What do you need me to do?'