She knew she had to escape, there had to at least be someway out of here. This place was as if hell had made a place on earth. Her gaze moved about the room for any sign of a way out or distraction. Just then the door opened and in stepped one of the maids. Silently she carried the tray over to the bed. Hoping to just place it down and leave, but she knew all too well things never went to plan. And so-
"I need to ask you something," came the dreaded start of a conversation.
She tried to keep quiet, but the hand now gripping her wrist had her speaking back. Perfect, what a way to go. Talking to the enemy when you just want to get your job done and leave.
"Let go of me!" she hissed in a whisper.
"I just want to know if they've killed my boyfriend? I know you'll have heard the screams, so was it him?"
"I don't know anything! Now let go!" she hissed once again.
Without knowing, a tall figure in a cream dress was now standing in the room with them.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, mock concern written on her beautiful features.
The pair automatically stiffened, the hand around the maid just wanting to do her job was now thankfully gone.
"I was j-just leaving now, m-my lady."
"Please don't rush on my account," she smiled devilishly.
The maid was quick to hurry out of there, while almost bumping into you, as you were by the doorway.
"I don't wish to be nosy on others business, but I am curious about how long you've been having a man come into my castle?"
The fear the woman was feeling was fading away as anger got the better of her. She wanted to scream at her, beat her, kill her.
"He was no ordinary man, was he?"
'Was he' proved it, she had killed him. She'd killed Andrei. She stayed as calm as anyone who in the face of any monster they were out to kill.
"He wanted to check your progress, did he not? See how you were fairing? Living in a castle filled by plentiful bounty. I mean just think anything could have happened to you couldn't it, sweet thing? But you were sent here to size up the kills. A poor innocent young woman, who couldn't be without your love for a simple few months?"
The woman's blood was boiling and Alcina could tell, so could you.
"Baby," you warned as the woman's stress levels rose.
"I'm well aware," she turns to you.
The woman was seething, but tries to keep her cool. She couldn't let the monster win after all.
"What you're saying is lies," she now responds while keeping her cool.
Alcina's eyes flash under her hat, and you can tell she's not angry, just all manner of curious to the human sitting on the bed.
"Ah, then I apologise. I never meant to work you up as much as I did."
"I'm not worked up, my lady. Not in the least."
Alcina smiled as she turned to duck back out of the door, you following on behind. As you both head back downstairs, the sound of laughter and curses fill the air. They're now playing sports with Andrei's bloody severed head, Daniela throws it too far which results in Bela face planting into her mother.
"Go and play outside, the weather's a little warmer today. You're worse than children," Alcina sighs as she looks down at the three.
"You always ruin our games, mother." Cassandra frowns, but heads off anyway.
"Take her with you. You all could use to blow off some steam."
"And what may I ask will we play?" Daniela now asks.
"Hide and seek?" Cassandra suggests.
"Last one out is counting," Bela giggles as she swarms off.
"Go with them," a large gloved hand now pushes you outside with the others.
"Kittens counting then," Bela announced.
"Does she even know how to count?" the three now gathered around you.
Daniela shrugs in response.
"I'll start and then we'll change things up from there," Cassandra stated as she then started counting. "One, two, three..."
"This way, Kitten." Bela grabs your hand to start you off or else you'd be still there wondering what the hell was going on.
She drags you through the hedge maze and out through the opposite end, seeking somewhere to hide.
"Tree!" you point out whilst transforming into a panther yet again to climb it.
"You're getting the hang of things already," Bela smiles as she follows you up.
You lay upon a thick branch, one of your hind legs dangling off the side as Bela materialises next to you, sitting beside you on the branch with her legs dangling off the side to swing them happily as you both now watch for Cassandra who's searching high and low for you both.
"Come out, come out, wherever your are." She sings happily.
You turn to look at Bela, who laughs then pets you. You're so engrossed in her fussing that you lose your balance and slip from the branch, just barely managing to hold on with your claws.
"Kitten!" Bela shrieks, grabbing a fist full of your skin to help pull you back up. "Shift quickly!"
Taking her advice, you quickly shrink down into a kitten sized version of the form you were in. Quickly taking hold of you, she brings you up to her chest to snuggle you. You both feel the harsh beating of your heart.
"Found you!" Cassandra grins wildly.
Bela sighs as she lets you go. You turn yourself into a panther again to head back down before the other two.
"I see you haven't found Daniela," Bela now looks to her sister as they both materialise together.
"No, I only heard you."
"Time to find Dani then."
The three of you search high and low before finding the third sister back inside.
"There you are!" Cassandra frowns at her because of not playing by the rules.
"Girls," their mother now steps in.
The three of you look to her, Daniela crossing her arms in annoyance.
"Daniela found a camp," she informed them. "Friends of the maid we've been so nicely looking after."
"Then what do we do with her?"
"Nothing as of yet, I don't want any harm coming to the child. I have plans for it."
"The blood of a newborn," Bela grinned.
Alcina laid a hand on her head. "Precisely."
"I call the heart!" Cassandra giggled.
"I will only allow it if you start being more aware of things. "
"I found that camp!" Daniela reminds her.
"And Kitten found the trespasser," Alcina counted
"I'm not angry with any of you. I just know that ever since this little Kitten came into our lives, we've been more than a little distracted. And as things are going at the moment, it seems we'll have another war on our hands."
"Stupid humans," Cassandra hissed, getting acknowledgement from her sisters.
"Go take care of the camp," she ordered them. "Kitten, you're to go with them. See what plagues us and take care of them with the girls."
"Plague?" you repeat.
"Mindless creatures that hunt us for being different."
Something in the back of your mind awakens and you feel a burning desire to rid these monsters. Your body morphed into a large tiger and before you could even wait for the other three you're lunging yourself out the door. Your minds fogged by determination, you're fuelled by the want to hurt them for hurting you or your new family.
"Alcina!" you roar, passing the odd villagers as they back away from you quickly.
Maybe running through the village like this wasn't such a good idea as it now gave them something else to fear. Three lots of swarms surround you, passing through the village along with you, one guiding your bloodlust right to the camp situated in the dense woods.
"Daria's strong, plus Andrei went to check up on her."
"You forget, she's stuck with four bitches!"
A loud snarling grabbed the men's attention, quickly snatching up their weapons they were quick on their feet to turn and face a large tiger and three lots of angry swarms. Pouncing in head first you grab one with the axe by the arm and tear it completely off, he screams in pain as blood sprays out. Another aims right at you, but luckily Daniela has your back sending herself deep within him to then swarm right out through his eyes, nose and mouth. Cassandra slices the tendons of another, watching him crawl and beg for the end as she sinks her sickle right into his back. You're now at the armless ones throat, tearing a good chunk away just as a sharp pain strikes your hind leg to send you crashing to the ground.
"Kitten!" Bela snarls as she slices the throat of yet another.
Lifting your head you now see an axe sticking out deep within your leg. Once the girls had finished off the remaining men, they scramble over to you as you start reverting back. The axe is still set deep in your bone.
"H-Hurts!" you now just realise as pain rips right through you.
"We have to get her to the castle, mother needs to help."
Daniela picks you up with ease, while the other two grab a still conscious hunter each to take back with them, the rest are quickly finished off.
"Hold on, Kitten. Mother knows what to do," you hear Daniela reassure you as she quickly carries you back up.
Your head falls limp over her arm, eyes struggling to keep open as the pain is more than you can bear.
"Mother, come quickly!" Daniela yells as soon as she burst through the door.
Alcina is quick to her call, taking one glance at you, she calmly says to set you down in one of the rooms while she got in contact with the healer of the woods.