Hello everyone! Thanks as always for reading. This chapter is the final clash between Charlotte and Alcina, though in many wars, there is always collateral damage. We have lost Pus-Pus. Now who else will be injured or worse? Enjoy!

The moment Cassandra entered into the cellar she could sense something was very wrong. It was far too quiet. The sound of the maidens' whimpers and cries completely absent.

"Strange." She rounded a corner and came upon the first sign of why everything was quiet.

A cell door was wide open. The door broken and bent in an obscured way. She walked in and knelt down to examine a chain. That too had been broken by something with sharp claws. Could it have been one of those creatures that wanders about? The Moroaica as her mother called them. No. They could not be that strong. How easy it had been for her to knock them around, though they did have a strong grip, it was not strong enough to bend these chains.

She stood back up and kept on following the corridor. More of the cell doors wide open, but it was when she came upon her mother's workshop did she freeze. She could not believe her eyes.

The creatures, the moroaica, ten of them lay dead on the floor. Ripped apart in a bloody mess of limbs and innards. Steam billowing from their opened bellies. Indicating to Cassandra these kills were recent. Very recent.

"What in the hell did this?" She looked up at the sound of her bugs zooming back to her. "What have you discovered my little friends?" the bugs returned to Cassandra and instantly she could taste the blood of the moroaica along with a few maidens. No sign of anything else out of the ordinary. Disappointing. Yet the roar she had heard. What could it have been from? "Hmm?" she looked up at the sound of bugs buzzing around her. "Bela."

"Cassandra."

"I gather you heard the sound, too?"

"I did," Bela answered. "Though that was not the original reason for me being down here."

"The cat, I presume? Did you find the rest of it?"

"No," Bela said coldly, watching Cassandra with distrust.

Cassandra tsked as she moved around her sister.

"Well, I am going to keep exploring and see where these pesky maidens have gotten to, will you join me? Or will you go see Daniela and Mother?"

"I will stay with you, Sister. Those maidens could not have gotten far…"

Cassandra led the way.

The two did not speak. The sound of their heels clicking against the floor echoing up and down the walls. A few mice scurrying by and diving to shelter. Cassandra released a yawn, watching the little creatures. She was growing bored of the inaction, when she abruptly stopped and caused Bela to slam into her back.

"Ouch! Cassandra…"

She held up a hand, indicating for Bela to peer around the corner.

Wondering if this was another of Cassandra's stupid games, she was fully prepared to tear her a new one, when all thoughts of it vanished from her mind.

"You see that, right?"

"I do not know what I am seeing…, but whatever it is appears to be wearing one of the collars."

Cassandra gripped the knife tightly, her free hand twitching as she debated whether to attack or hold off. The thing was at least 8 feet tall, but it was shaped like a moroaica. Its gangly arms hanged loosely down by its side. The thing wearing a tattered brown dress that barely covered its entire body. Yet, strangely Cassandra recognized its scent.

"Oh so that's who it is."

"What?"

Cassandra eyed over the blonde hair clinging to the creatures round head.

"Priscilla. My little pet. It looks like the serum did have an effect on you after all."

Bela grabbed Cassandra's shoulder, intentionally digging her nails into her sister.

"What the hell are you going on about?"

"Let go of me."

"No games, Cassandra, what do you mean by serum? What exactly was in that syringe?"

"Just a little something I found. I figured since Mother had left it behind in my workshop it was free for me to use."

Bela bared her teeth ready to kill Cassandra. How could she be so stupid?! Or was it just not giving a damn? Probably both. She loved torturing and experimenting. Hell, she had even performed lobotomies on some of the maidens. The fortunate ones who had survived were nothing but drooling heaps of flesh. Yet this one she had injected had become something else entirely. The blonde glanced back over to the creature. It was still just standing there. Just as docile like the moroaica until something caught its attention.

'No doubt it was that thing who broke the cell bars, but what happened to the damn maidens?'

"You are stuck," Cassandra said.

"Quiet, Cassandra, as if you know what is going on down here. In fact, if there is anyone who should know, it is /you/!"

The creature began to growl and hiss. Its footsteps surprisingly loud as it turned and started to walk over to a cell. It was sniffing around, though it was having trouble getting into the cell due to its height.

"What is it doing?" Cassandra said, curiously.

"I do not know…" Bela said, suddenly going rigid and turning around. Danger. Something was headed towards Mother and Daniela, or perhaps it was the thing that had roared earlier.

"Go on," Cassandra waved for Bela to go. "I can handle this thing."

"How do you-"

"I am not as blind as you think, nor am I as oblivious as you may think me. Now go. I want to enjoy this little fun all by myself."

"Very well, but do not push yourself too hard."

"Yes, Mother, I know."

Bela just shook her head, unable to fend off a slight smile forming across her face.

'Good luck, Sister.'

With that she materialized away to apprehend this creature before it could reach her mother and sister.

Meanwhile Alcina had been comforting Daniela. The child had finally stopped crying and was now fast asleep in her arms. Her face still wet from the tears she had shed. Alcina kept her eyes straight down on her little one. Stroking her hair and humming softly to her.

"Good girl, Daniela, there's a good girl." She rose out of the chair, setting her youngest down in her bed. "My dearest one." She tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. Her heart heavy still for her child. 'I will keep an extra eye on her throughout these next weeks.' She straightened her posture when a gut-wrenching pain slammed into her chest. She swiveled around and faced the door, sensing both Bela and Cassandra were in danger. "Who dares harm my children?!" she growled, exiting out of the room when she heard something shatter. A window she realized.

Down the hall she dashed, descending the staircase four at a time and heading straight for the dining hall.

"Bela!"

A few minutes ago:

Bela came to a halt in the pantry area. The bugs instantly dropping to the floor petrified.

"The windows?! W-who the hell has done this?" She ran out of the room only to stumble into the kitchen area to find those windows were broken open as well. The cold wind mercilessly blowing in. "Damn it all!" she cursed, her teeth chattering. "What is the meaning of this?"

Crash!

Bela's attention was grabbed by the sound of a window shattering.

"There you are!" snatching a large knife off the counter, she jogged down the hall and stopped in front of the door, smiling. Whatever or whoever caused the window to shatter was still inside. She could hear their steps, and from the sound of it, Bela guessed the intruder was female. "Time to die." Bela was just about to open the door when the sound of the courtyard doors creaked open. "Damn it. This intruder is clever. How can it be they seem to know the layout of the castle? And what is even more disturbing is she is breaking the windows. Could it be one of the staff members? No, no one should know of our weakness… unless it is the wretch Mother had spoken off."

She paused. Able to feel the cold air drifting in from underneath the door.

"I have to get to Mother. I have no doubt this intruder is searching for her. Bitch. No matter. At least she is headed in the wrong direction, but this damn cold. It is making everything so hard to concentrate. I cannot even communicate with Mother telepathically, and if Mother is trying to speak with me, I cannot hear her. Right. I must get to her at once. Get to the warmth!"

She opened the door and was greeted by something most unexpected. A creature that looked similar to a wolf. Its clothes that had been a dress barely covered its hairy and muscular body.

"G-got yo-ou."

The creature was much faster and stronger than Bela had anticipated, grabbing her around the throat, hoisting her up into the air and tossing her out of the broken window.

Bela rolled and slammed into the railing, barely managing to get up to her knees when the creature pounced on her. Biting right down on her shoulder. She cried out in pain, attempting to shove the beast aside, but her strength was fading fast.

The cold! This stupid, cursed cold!

"You. First. Alcina. Second." It said.

"N-no!" Bela growled, having managed to keep hold of the knife and stabbing it straight into the monsters shoulder. It did not go in deep due to its tough hide, but it was enough to get the thing to release her.

"Poor. Desperate. Succubus." The creature removed the dagger and threw it away, charging straight at Bela, who was running towards the courtyard doors. "No. Escape. Just. Like. Them."

Bela dived for the door, just reaching it when the creature dug its claws into her back. The power of this thing was incredible. Truly terrifying.

'If I was inside this piece of filth would not stand a chance!' Bela gasped as the creature flung her further away from the door. She flying down the stairs and landing hard on the snowy ground.

She lay on her side unable to move for a moment. The bitter wind and snow paralyzing her. Choking her windpipe and holding her down.

'I-I can't breathe… What is happening to me?'

The creature roared in triumph. She could hear it approaching her.

Crunch.

Ba-dum.

Crunch.

Ba-dum.

Her heart beat in rhythm with its steps.

'Move, Bela! God damn it all, move!'

The creature was now standing over her, raising its large clawed foot into the air and stomping down on her head. Over and over it kept on clomping down on her skull.

'Is this it?' Bela thought, her world growing darker and darker. Each agonizing stomp by the creature less painful. Numb. Nothing. 'Mother.' Bela could see her face. All their faces. 'Did I do enough for you? For them? Was I good enough? Have I shamed you? Let you down? Have I…, Mother?'

CRUNCH!

Darkness.

The creature released a loud, victorious roar. Her eyes changing to a deeper yellow. Leaning down to pick up Bela's body, mouth open; tongue hanging out as it prepared for the succulent meal.

SLASH!

Bela's body dropped to the ground along with the Lycan's arm.

"You dare… You dare harm my daughter?!" Alcina raised her bloody claws high into the air, staring straight at the foul creature. It slowly turning and looking up at her with a smile.

'This is it… I failed. I was unable to kill this bitch, though I have damaged her heart. I do not see Bela rising from what I have done to her. That was for Bridget…' she closed her eyes, thinking back to the day she had first entered this castle. How warm and inviting it had all appeared. A sad masquerade. Everyone all painted to hide the real horror within. The night she had stood in front of Lady Dimitrescu to be examined.

"'Protocol'." She had claimed. Ensuring I did not have lice and checking me to see if I was fit to do the work.

'I had not thought anything of it. Truth be told I was pulled into Lady Dimitrescu's alluring presence. The warmth and kindness she showed to us all. I found myself stepping and fetching for her without a second thought. How proud I felt when she would praise me. Cupping my chin and placing a kiss to my cheek.'

"'Well done, my Charlotte'."

She would always say. Lavished with her affections making my heart expand even more for her. I would not fail her. Never.

'How blind I had become. Awakening upon a single night when I was pulled from sleep to make a trip to the bathroom. It was in the darkness. The eerie silence of the castle that I could hear moaning. It was like ghosts wandered the halls. Souls trapped. Unable to find their way out. I ventured out and found myself in the Main Hall where I distinctly heard crying. I knew I should have gone straight back to my quarters, but I had to know. Perhaps one of the girls had been sleep walking and was lost. I scurried down into the Hall of Four and entered through the double doors.'

"'NO! Please'."

The sound of her shrieking was the thing of nightmares. Haunting me every time I closed my eyes. Each step I took sounded like canon fire to my ears. The beat of my heart no doubt would be my undoing and give me away at any moment, but no one saw me. No one heard me as I approached the door. Inside the room I entered and faced yet another door!

"'Shh, you do not want to wake my daughters, do you'?"

Gooseflesh appeared all over my body at the sound of Lady Dimitrescu. Her warm; soothing voice now sounded like the call of a siren to me. The door was open just a crack. Enough for me to see what was occurring within.

A child no older than fourteen had been strung up, naked. Hooks pierced straight through her palms. The blood dripping down her arms as she remained displayed, like Jesus nailed to his cross.

I wanted to run, but my legs were shaking so badly I could barely even stand. I was caught in the serpents' gaze. Watching Lady Dimitrescu appear, she too was completely naked and walking up to the girl with a smile.

"'Please release me. I will do better. I-I swear'." The maiden had been whimpering, tears splashing down her cheeks.

"'I have no doubt you could, but I have decided there is a much better use for you. You have bragged about a certain royal lineage that flows in your veins. One that comes straight from a king'."

"'Yes,'" the girl said.

"'Well, let me see if I can confirm if this interesting spurt of information becomes a fount'."

What happened next was too much for me to believe. Yet there I kneeled and watched it with my own two eyes. Lady Dimitrescu's nails had grown out into long, sharp claws. How she raised them and started to slash into the girl's flesh. The child screaming and wiggling in agony, only to cause the hooks to dig further into her palms.

The girl's blood was now flowing down her body and dripping to the ground. The noise… how unbelievably alike it was to the sound of rain splashing and pattering from the heavens.

"'Good. Very good'."

Lady Dimitrescu stepped underneath the girl and allowed the blood to spill down on her. Using her claws to cut the girl a little deeper if she wanted a heavy stream. All the while she was laughing. Laughing and laughing. The inviting smile she presented to me was no longer as such, but a reminder of the true monster that was Lady Dimitrescu…, and how I had to save the others from this cursed place.

Charlotte opened her eyes from her memories, staring into matching yellow. She could see the sudden recognition register on Lady Dimitrescu's countenance. How? Her appearance had changed dramatically. There was no possible way. Then again, Lady Dimitrescu was no fool, and she knew all her staff by other means than just faces.

"Well done…, my Charlotte, but like all the others. No one ever escapes me."

She smiled. That damn smile.

'Strange. I never liked defeat. Never, but here in this moment. I feel quite a peace. I accept this. I mean, I have already lost my humanity. That poor doctor could do nothing for me. In the end he was using me, too, and not to mention I have caused him so much heartache. Katja…'

Charlotte chuckled. It was the only thing she could do. If not that she would be crying now.

"Farewell, my dear child."

'Farewell, my lady, may someone else sink a dagger straight into thy heart and rip it out.'

Slash!