Then we got about seven years.
For what?
To train you for the Huntsmen exam.
That's what he...what Rhodes said he would do.
Train her.
Cinder hadn't known if she should believe him at first. Adults were a tricky bunch, always making empty promises...just like the woman who had first taken her to the orphanage claiming she was going to get a better life there.
All lies.
For all she knew Rhodes could have gone to Madame the very next morning selling her out...but he didn't. He kept his word and started to train her.
At night though...only at night.
It made her lose sleep, but she wouldn't dare to complain.
This was her chance.
Her way out.
That's what Cinder told herself over and over again to pull through...
When Rhodes left the first time without even acknowledging her.
When her adoptive sisters decided to torment her again.
When Madame made her scrub the floor for a whole day straight, without a break or food, to correct her work etiquette, only to punish her in the end anyway…
It would all be worth it.
She just needed to be strong enough to endure it until it was time.
In her rare free time...which basically only consisted of the time she was allowed to sleep, she began to practice on her own, going through the stances Rhodes had taught her diligently, cutting her nighttime short.
She didn't need sleep, she needed to get stronger...better…
The first time she passed out from exhaustion she hadn't even realized it, but then she started to dream.
It was a recurring dream, nothing Cinder wasn't used to.
She was running from disfigured shadows that kept chasing her wherever she went. No matter what she did they always ended up capturing her, throwing her into a fancy bird cage made of gold with three locks on the front gate to make sure she couldn't escape. They would point and laugh at her, calling her names, sometimes even throwing rocks at her and Madame's voice would cut through the dark menacingly.
Without me you are nothing!
She would curl up into a ball on the cold floor and try to make herself as small as possible until she woke up again.
But of course this took its toll.
A week after Rhodes' departure, Cinder got punished for passing out while darning her adoptive sisters' socks. She hadn't meant for it to happen, but when they both mocked her and threatened to tell their mother she lost control over her semblance and set the socks in her hand on fire.
Something she would come to regret afterwards, but seeing the girls' terrified faces, filled her with...some sort of satisfaction.
Although a rather brief one.
When she was finally released by Madame after receiving her due justice, her face was tear stained and her voice coarse and rough from all the screaming. She felt hot and her head kept pounding painfully with each beat of her heart.
There wasn't a day where she wasn't hurting all over.
Collapsing onto her mattress, Cinder didn't have the energy to fight sleep any longer, falling into a restless slumber.
Unsurprisingly she winded back up in the golden cage once more, the usual grotesque shadows gathering around it, ready to torment her for yet another night. Squeezing her eyes shut, she huddled down in the middle and tried to block them all out.
She wanted them gone.
Why did no one care?
She just…
'I want to be free!'
"Is that truly what you desire?"
Cinder looked up startled, peering through the darkness behind the bars, not daring to move or make a sound. The shadows had all disappeared, along with the Madame's mocking voice. It was...silent? No...there was something...a soft buzz surrounding her.
This felt...different than usual.
And then she noticed it!
A slight movement, a figure, approaching her and her little cage. Gleaming crimson orbs shone through the darkness, pinned only on her as they drew nearer and nearer. With each step she could feel the air around her grow thicker.
A sudden fear sized the young girl, as she scrambled onto her feet, desperately searching for a way to escape...to hide...but of course no such thing existed. There never was.
'Fighting it is then!'
She wouldn't let a monster take her, not even in her dream.
In sheer desperation, she raised her fists like her mentor had taught her and tried to look as threatening as possible.
"Stay where you are!", she yelled, baring her teeth, almost growling like a cornered animal.
Sadly the figure didn't seem to care one bit, not paying her words any mind, as they slowly stepped into the dim lit area at the outside of the cage, stopping right at its closed entrance. The pale light finally illuminated their features.
It was a woman.
A woman unlike any Cinder had ever laid eyes on. Her skin appeared almost ashen, if it weren't for those strange, red, angry veins spreading from her hands and crimson eyes. The long black dress she wore obscured her feet from her view, but it wasn't like the girl cared too much about that fact at the moment...even if the thought of the woman floating instead of walking towards her caused her lips to twitch a little.
"What...are you?"
She hadn't meant to ask, but the question just tumbled out of her mouth. She could only hope it wouldn't have bad consequences for her afterwards.
The woman however seemed more amused than upset at her words, a gentle smile adorning her features, as she let one of her hands rest on the sturdy door of the golden gate in front of her, inspecting the three locks with mild curiosity.
"You could call me...a like minded soul."
'...a what?'
The confusion must have shown on her face because the strange woman began to laugh. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant sound. It certainly didn't sound as grating as Madame's, nor as cruel. It was almost...nice? Inviting?
Whatever it was, it made her even more curious about the woman, her defensive posture all but forgotten, as curiosity got the better of her.
"Do...you have a name?"
The woman cocked her head to the side, appearing thoughtful before answering pleasantly:
"I have been called many names, Witch, your Grace, my Queen, my Goddess…"
She trailed off, circling the cage soundlessly, forcing Cinder to turn in tandem with her movements.
"You can refer to me as Salem...for now", she continued amicably, before letting her hand run over the golden bars of the cage.
Cinder's mind was reeling.
Witch? Queen? Goddess?
She couldn't help but scoff at that. This dream of hers was certainly going into a very strange direction.
"Magic isn't real though", she retorted. There was a challenging note to her tone. Maybe...she wanted to be proven otherwise.
To her frustration her words only earned her a mysterious smile.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. In any case, you appear to be trapped, Cinder."
Cinder froze at the mention of her name.
How did she know?
'A dream!'
Right, of course this was a dream.
She tried to calm down the panic that was threatening to rise inside her, focusing her attention on that 'Salem' and how she tapped lightly against the bars, as she continued to circle the cage nonchalantly. It helped, but her guard had gone up again...dream or not.
"How do you-?"
"What is your favorite fairy tale?"
'My...what?'
Fairy tale?
Why…?
Her face fell. She… she didn't…
"I...don't know any…"
The adults didn't care about fairy tales in the orphanage and Cinder couldn't even remember her birth parents. She just knew they gave her up. The unlovable child.
No one ever bothered to tell her any kind of story.
Salem's eyes softened almost unnoticeably.
"Then I shall tell you mine. It is called 'The Girl in the Tower'. I imagine it could help you in ways you can't even understand yet."
"What's it about?"
Somehow the idea of getting told a story appealed to the dark haired girl. Something she had always wanted if she was being honest to herself.
"It's about a girl who got trapped into a tower by her vengeful and cruel father, all alone and with no control over her own future."
That peaked Cinder's interest. She hadn't realized how she had stepped closer to the woman at the bars.
"Is...is she getting out?"
Her voice sounded unusually small, but she really...really needed to know all of a sudden.
Salem motioned for her to sit down, looking at her in a way that made Cinder wonder if that was what having a mother felt like. It was...comforting.
Huddling against the bars of the cage she dropped down, hugging her legs close to her body.
Salem's voice was something else.
She made her tale come to live, talking about magic, about heroes and freedom, kings and castles...and about the girl who managed to escape her prison through sheer wit and initiative.
"You see, she fought for her freedom. She destroyed the locks that kept the gate closed and drained the cage of its power, never to look back."
'Destroyed...the locks…'
Cinder's gaze flitted to the three locks on her cage.
Oh how she wanted that. She could destroy them and run. Make them pay for what they did to her…
But…
'Rhodes!'
/Hurting them isn't going to make your life any better./
He was risking so much to help her. To give her a way out. She just needed to be patient...to wait…
'Seven more years…'
No, she would endure this. Rhodes trained her to become a Huntress. Then she could go wherever she wanted...even help other people like herself...people in need. She wouldn't disappoint the hopes he placed in her.
/Without me you are nothing!/
The girl flinched at the sudden scream, whirling around in terror.
Salem was gone...and with her with her the peace and quiet she had enjoyed in her dream for once.
xxxxxxxxxx
"The hearts of men are easily swayed. Duty is their utmost priority. I would be careful who you put your trust into."
Since that night Cinder had some more dreams of Salem. She found that she looked forward to them. Most of the time the older woman told her fairy tales in that pleasant voice of hers that made her want to rest and relax.
It was certainly strange having an imaginary dream person to converse with, but she didn't complain. It was better than being tormented...even if most of Salem's words and topics confused her.
She peered up at Salem from her sitting position, visibly pouting.
"Rhodes promised to come back.
And he is the only one who even wants to help me."
The older woman wasn't deterred, though, giving her one of these affectionate smiles that filled her with a strange, foreign warmth.
"Sometimes actual help is found in rather unexpected places."
Cinder grinned at her playfully.
"Like you, you mean?"
The only answer she got was a mysterious hum from Salem and a weird twinkle in her eyes.
xxxxxxxxxx
"I told you he would be back!"
The eleven year old couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear, grabbing Salem's hands through the bars with obvious joy. She wished she could jump around her to further let her happiness be known. At first she hadn't wanted to believe her eyes when Rhodes had entered the hotel this year. Yes, he didn't acknowledge her there, but he came to the cellar in the night. He had brought wooden staffs for them to practice with. It was simply amazing.
Not even her adoptive sisters and Madame had been able to quell her good mood today.
Her excitement got even Salem to chuckle in the end, squeezing Cinder's hands gently.
"I never said he wouldn't be back, Cinder."
There was a...weird undertone to her words, but she was too happy to care about this now. It wasn't important. Salem would tell her another tale later on and Rhodes was back to train her. Right now...life was good.
"I'll show you what he taught me today", she said energetically, jumping back to fall into one of the stances she had been shown today.
Interestingly the older woman agreed and even corrected her here and there, all while regarding her with that gentle smile of hers.
xxxxxxxxxx
"Is magic real?"
Cinder knew the answer to that question. It was a dream after all. Nothing of it was real...not Salem or her tales. Everything was just made up by her somehow.
The older woman seemed quieter than usual. It made her uneasy...and sad in a weird way. She had grown to like their talks...the fairy tales…
"Every tale I told you is real, girl."
Her tone was different, more on edge. The usual warmth that accompanied it was lacking. It made Cinder shudder inwardly.
The silence between them stretched on, making her nervous.
Why did Salem seem to be...angry at her? Disappointed?
"Salem?"
"Yes, child?"
"Why did you come here when you don't want to talk to me?"
There was a loud sigh that caused Cinder to cringe. There was only so much silent disappointment she could take...especially from someone that wasn't real. It was enough when Madame gave her those looks.
She subconsciously rubbed her neck, lying on her back, staring at the dark ceiling, as she waited for the woman's answer, not sure if she was dreading it or not.
"Why you ask...call it an experiment that hasn't yielded results as of yet."
'Experiment?'
How come her dream constantly threw stuff at her she didn't understand in the slightest?
"What do you mean?"
'What did I do wrong?'
This time however she didn't receive an answer. Salem kept quiet.
xxxxxxxxxx
"You have golden eyes."
"Yeah, what about them?"
"You realize he is keeping you trapped here, do you not?
That he is the reason you are still suffering?"
Salem's voice sounded almost cold, indifferent and not for the first time Cinder cursed herself for caring far too much. It was hard enough getting through the days as it was. She didn't need the older woman to give her deepest fears and doubts a voice of their own. Also her change of topics always confused her. First it was eyes now it was Rhodes.
"It's only four more years...I can do this."
She didn't know if she tried to convince Salem or herself...maybe both.
It didn't do anything to lift the older woman's mood though.
"If you do not act soon you will never amount to anything and 'that woman's' words will become your reality. Is that truly what you want?"
/Without me you are nothing!/
Cinder had enough. A hot wave of rage surged through her, as she glared at Salem.
"I don't have to defend myself to you!
You are just a stupid dream I have!
You're not even real, stop wasting my time with your crazy fairy tales!"
She immediately regretted her words. Crimson eyes flashed dangerously in the dark and the temperature around them seemed to drop. A cold shudder ran down Cinder's spine, as her expression morphed into one of fear.
"You are right...I am wasting my time with you.
You are of no use to me!"
Before the thirteen year old could react, before the words had even registered with her, she found herself alone, safe for the returning shadows thicker and closer than ever before.
Salem was gone.
xxxxxxxxxx
"Say it!"
"Without you...I am nothing…"
Cinder was in agony. There was no escape anymore. The pain was everywhere. She could feel it in her bones, the burning that made her want to scream, to rip her skin open, to make it stop.
She had tried of course, oh how she had tried. Reopening her old scars on her right wrist. It had helped at first, but then her adoptive sisters had found out about it and Madame had made sure it would never happen again.
Salem hadn't come back for months now.
It was weird and not for the first time she had asked herself if Salem had been real after all...but that was just ridiculous. Still...she was alone again and the shadows in her dream had gotten even crueller, not shying away from outright burning her with glowing embers they would throw at her, heating the bars, making her feel as if she was going to burst into flames at any moment.
To make matters even worse...Rhodes was late as well.
Curling herself down on the floor of the cage, she tried desperately to stop the tears from falling.
"Tell me a fairy tale", she whimpered to no one in particular.
She just...wanted someone...to care...to be there.
/And the truth is that no one ever loved you!/
She winced, hugging her legs even closer to her body, as the tears finally escaped her eyes, trailing down her cheeks.
'I'm sorry Rhodes…
I want to be strong…
But…'
"Once upon a time there was a despicable wizard living as a hermit far far away from any civilization."
Cinder's eyes shot open. Wide eyed she turned her head...and there she was...circling the cage, as if she had never left in the first place.
'Salem.'
Any other day she might have questioned where she had gone and why she came back, but she was so tired. Closing her eyes she let the older woman's soothing voice wash over her instead, dispelling the nightmares around them and granting her a little bit of peace.
xxxxxxxxxx
Cinder felt truly happy for the first time in literal years.
Rhodes had gifted her a sword. Her very first weapon!
In only three years she had proven herself to him enough to earn that privilege. It was surreal. Her future felt so close now.
Yes, she still had to endure four more years of her family's treatment, but it would be worth it…
It had to be.
She had finished her chores earlier than expected today. Rhodes wanted to train with her at midnight, as usual, and she really couldn't wait.
Last night she had asked him about fairy tales. Although he had been rather confused at the time he had told her one: The story of the Seasons…
The story Salem had told her. A tale she shouldn't have been able to know.
How could Salem know so much when she didn't?
'Salem...doesn't exist...right?'
But what if she did?
...ridiculous.
Shaking her head, Cinder made her way to the cellar. It was almost 15 before midnight. She should probably get ready. Stretching her aching limbs and muscles, she searched for her sword. She wanted to fight Rhodes with her own weapon tonight.
Her cheerful smile quickly vanished though, when she came up empty handed.
'Where…?'
Where did it go?
"Are you perhaps searching for this?"
'No!'
Cinder felt as if she got just dunked into ice cold water, fear gripping her heart. Slowly...very slowly she turned around, her eyes finding the source of her nightmares. Madame, head held high, holding her precious weapon in her grasp, not even bothering to hide the disgust spreading over her face as she inspected it with clear distaste.
"It seems we finally found our little thief after all", she all but sneered, causing her daughters behind her to laugh.
The dark haired girl hadn't even realized they were present as well. Lowering her head, she tried to make herself as small as possible.
She had to endure this.
Only a few more years…
Madame didn't seem to like her silence, drawing nearer, that damned device ready in hand.
"Now, who did you steal it from, girl?"
"I didn't-"
'Wrong answer.'
The electric sparks she had come to know oh so well run through her throat, her skin hot and angry, as they sliced every nerve they could reach with ferocity, leaving only destruction and numbness in its wake.
Screaming always made it worse, but she couldn't help it.
Even though she should be used to it by now…
Why was she so weak?
'I want to be strong…'
Madame finally stopped, giving Cinder a few seconds to breathe again, the air burning in her lung with each gasp.
"Let's try that again, shall we?
"It...it was a g-gift-"
"Stop lying!"
And her torture continued. Her hand flew towards her neck, but it was so futile. She couldn't alleviate the pain.
She wasn't lying.
What was she supposed to do?
Everything hurt…
'Make it stop!'
[Destroy the locks.]
...the...locks?
[I will make you everything.]
The pain stopped again and had Cinder gasping for air, fighting the desperate urge to curl herself into a ball...or worse…
She had to endure this.
'Only a few more years…'
Madame turned away from her, handing her weapon to one of her daughters.
"Here, find the owner and let them know we are terribly sorry, but we won't be serving them any longer."
'...no!'
Wide eyed, Cinder raised her head, watching helplessly as her sword was passed between her adoptive sisters tauntingly.
Her weapon…
Her freedom…
Rhodes…
She would lose it all.
Her chest tightened anxiously.
No...no, no, nononononononono!
Without thinking about the consequences the dark haired girl jumped to her feet in sheer desperation.
"No please...I-I want to become a Huntress!"
Her voice almost cracked under the strain she put it under, but the panic was clearly audible enough for them to hear.
This time even Madame laughed.
Compared to Salem's it was a rather cruel sound.
"A Huntress? You?", she mocked, clearly amused at the prospect.
Soon enough her daughters joined into her laughter as well.
She hated them...oh how she hated them…
"You won't go anywhere, my dear."
She didn't even see Madame press the button this time.
It was so fast and the pain never waited.
'Hurts...hurtshurtshurtshurts'
There were muffled sounds, steps that drew farther away.
The girls were leaving.
Leaving with her weapon…
Her freedom…
Her...key…
[Destroy-]
'The locks!'
Something inside Cinder ripped, exploded with an icy ferocity. She couldn't breathe. Her vision shifted.
Red...everything was red, crimson...like those eyes she knew so well. The eyes that haunted her dreams. She was cold...numb, like the fire within her. She sank deeper and deeper into the cold embrace that cursed through her veins.
Shadows took form, surrounding her adoptive sisters, tearing into them without leaving traces, slowly suffocating them from the inside out.
There was horror in their gazes...honest, naked fear...and Cinder relished in it.
She didn't know when she had made her way towards them, but she suddenly had her sword back, safe and sound in her left hand, while they lied motionless on the cold ground.
Only the biting buzz around her neck made the dark haired girl come back to reality, her golden eyes landing on Madame, who appeared to shrink away from her in terror.
Her normally cruel smirk had been replaced with a mask of utter panic, pressing the button of the remote repeatedly to yield results.
'Drain...the cage!'
Cinder bridged the distance between them slowly, each step sending a wave of painful electricity through her sensitive flesh, dully echoing inside her.
But for some reason...it wasn't enough to stop her.
Something was coursing through her veins.
Rage? Desperation? Aura?
She couldn't say, but it was enough to finally make her endure it.
The way Madame flinched when she wrapped her right hand around her neck felt...exhilarating.
Fear… there was so much fear in her eyes...and she was the cause of it.
'I want...to be feared.'
"You're right. Without you I am nothing", she practically spat the words out, a weird laugh ripping itself from her throat, raising her hand higher, as she let Madame scramble for air, "but because of you I am everything!"
'Make me...everything!'
The light finally diminished in Madame's eyes, her whole posture going limp in her grip. Dropping her to the ground unceremoniously, she was about to reach for her necklace when…
"Cinder…?"
Rhodes!
Relief flooded her.
He was here.
He would help her.
He would understand
She turned to him with a relieved, teary smile.
"I won't have to run now."
"That's all you'll ever do."
'...huh?'
There was no understanding in his gaze, only tired resignation.
What was he…?
Rhodes drew his weapons and any remaining hope Cinder had left shattered…
And with it came the burning rage that had been absent before.
'Destroy the locks!'
xxxxxxxxxx
The following night Cinder dreamed of the golden cage bursting into flames, but it felt hollow. She had trusted Rhodes. He had been the only one who believed in her...and the first one giving up on her as well. She was torn between rage and sadness and all its pointlessness. She still wasn't free. Atlas in itself was a prison. There was no way for her to run from the authorities for too long. She couldn't stow away on an airship with how tight controls were right now.
Hugging her legs for comfort, she tucked herself closer behind the thin wall of cardboard she used as her makeshift shelter. The alleyway was dark and cold...but oddly enough it was better than what she was used to. No one would torture her...no one was able to…
'But for how long?'
The thought caused her to shiver. Even thinking about it made her sick, but the people of Atlas had already taught her what to expect from them.
The dull noises of the nightly traffic made it hard for her to find any rest, so she tried to count the sounds she was hearing.
5 times a dog howled…
10 times brakes screeched…
15 times a crow screamed in the distance…
20 times her heart pounded in tandem with falling raindrop water…
25 times soft, muffled footsteps could be heard echoing through the alleyway, getting closer…
30 times-
'Wait...what?!'
Cinder held her breath and listened as intensely as she could.
Tap...tap tap...tap…
Someone was coming down here...maybe even more than one. Instinctively, Cinder gripped the handles of her weapons tighter.
"Here?
Are you sure?
I am risking a lot just by being back in Atlas!"
A man...his voice sounded similar to all those elite people she had to cater to in the hotel. Full of superiority and arrogance.
"Salem said she is. She is probably hiding somewhere."
Another, more deeper and gruff voice joined the conversation, but she could only focus on one thing.
'Salem!'
They said Salem!
Could it be just a coincidence? Another person named Salem? After all Salem was just a figure she made up in her dreams...right?
There was no way someone like her could actually exist.
Magic wasn't real…
And yet she had been telling her fairy tales that Cinder couldn't possibly know. In the end she had to know, had to make sure. Crawling out of her hiding spot, she dashed through the darkness, precise and swift, jumping on the tall man's back, holding one of her swords against his neck.
This one was clearly Atlesian with how he dressed.
"Who is Salem?", she snarled at them, fixing her eyes on the other, more muscular man.
The tall man scoffed at that, rolling his eyes at his companion.
"Really? Her?
Couldn't she have gone for someone a bit more refined?"
Oh yes, he was definitely an Atlas elite with how pretentious and bored he sounded. They were all the same.
'Such arrogance:'
She pressed her weapon closer to her hostage's jugular.
"Watts!", his companion seemed to chide him, before holding up his hands, maybe to show the girl that he was unarmed.
"You are Cinder, correct?", he asked after she failed to respond to his actions, "I am Hazel and this", he motioned to the tall man, "is Dr. Watts. We are tasked to escort you to...our queen...Salem."
"Salem...is real?"
There was no doubt in her mind that they meant her Salem. She did mention that her people called her their queen...but that also meant…
Everything she told her was real as well?
I'll make you everything.
Should she really follow these strange men?
You have golden eyes.
Lowering her weapon, she shoved Watts away from her, ignoring the death glares she received in return and the silent curses he muttered under his breath, focusing on Hazel instead.
If she ended up throwing her life away for a fairy tale so be it. She had nothing more to lose anyways.
"I am ready."
xxxxxxxxxx
The flight had been...mildly uncomfortable. Cinder had so many questions, but didn't dare to ask her strange companions any of them. If the hotel had taught her anything it was keeping her mouth shut. Hazel had his eyes closed for the whole flight. She couldn't quite tell if he was actually sleeping or just resting. Watts, to her dismay, wasn't sleeping. He sat in his chair, sipping some dark red wine, pointedly ignoring her entire existence. The dark haired girl didn't mind. She would probably despise every word that came out of his mouth anyways.
It had taken them a couple of days, but finally the terrain around them seemed to change.
Cinder was the first one to notice. The sky had begun to darken...to redden even, and the land beneath them...was dead. Lifeless and dark it spread across the continent, being parted by pitch black pools and lakes that seemed to birth...grimm?
The sight was terrifying...and oddly fascinating as well. She had never really seen a grimm in her life, only listened to the stories people would tell about them.
'Humanity's worst enemy.'
Funnily enough no grimm had ever harmed her...only humans.
They landed near a...castle of sorts. It was a mesmerizing sight. One that sent chills down Cinder's spine, but mesmerizing nonetheless. The purple, reddish glow reminded her of something...someone, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Hazel and Watts lead her through empty halls, lit by thousands of candles, which adorned most of the decor.
She felt more and more restless, the closer they got towards the massive wooden door they were heading to.
Hazel was the one pushing the two heavy wings open for her, stepping aside and motioning for her to enter, giving no indication of following after her. Neither did Watts, even though he seemed somewhat delighted at her nervous expression, twirling his mustache between his fingers.
Clenching her hands into fists, Cinder ventured into the room alone. It was similarly structured to one of the offices she had cleaned at the hotel...with some exceptions of course. The biggest probably being the throne right behind the long meeting table...and the person sitting on it.
A woman, she had only ever seen in her dreams before.
"Salem...you are real…"
It wasn't a question any longer, it was a statement. How long had it been since she had last heard Salem's gentle voice?
"What is your favorite fairy tale?"
Cinder blinked owlishly. That was...the same question she had asked before. It was confusing, but so had been a lot of things Salem had talked about in her dreams. Thinking back, she tried to remember the tales she had been told.
Tales of magic…
Of freedom…
"The Girl in the Tower", she answered hesitantly, not missing the spark of interest and amusement that shone behind those crimson eyes, holding her gaze steadily.
"An unusual choice.
Are you certain?"
"Yes."
No more cages.
No more locks,
A fable of magic and freedom…
Salem's tale.
I won't have to run now.
That's all you'll ever do.
She would prove him wrong!
She would prove everyone wrong!
"I want...to be powerful!"
An affectionate smile spread over Salem's regal features at her words and oh how she had missed those smiles. Standing from her throne, the older woman made her way towards her, extending her pale hand. Hesitantly Cinder laid hers atop of it. The touch wasn't cold like she had expected it to be, instead she felt warmth.
This...this was real.
Smiling weakly she squeezed the palm beneath hers softly, not daring to hope.
Salem's eyes softened, her fingers closing around the girl's hand gently.
"Welcome home, Cinder."