Part 3:

Noire barely had time to say goodbye before Momma pulled her away. They were going home early. Momma had lots of research to do, and Noire was supposed to behave and not disturb her.

So that's what Noire did.

The only times she went down to Momma's laboratory was when Momma needed an "assistant" to test her new spells on or when Noire left her meals. When she took away the plates, only the edges of the food had been nibbled at by the mice. Any other time she crept into the laboratory, Momma would shoo her away.

Noire spent most of her time wandering the house. The kingdom had repaid its debt from her parents' war effort by providing them with a house. It was far from a mansion, but it was large enough that there were plenty of nooks and corners to tuck into. Noire knew every inch like the back of her hand. But she still spent hours gliding her fingertips over the walls and furniture, remembering the story behind every scratch and stain.

Sometimes she would look outside the window, wanting to go outside but wishing that Severa was there with her. Days were filled picturing each memory until she was sure not a detail was amiss. The precise shade of brownish-red from when Momma had spilled bats' blood on the dining table after Daddy suggested they eat together as a family. Daddy's laughter when she was three and had decided to continue her painting on the walls after she had run out of canvas. Noire pretending not to notice when Severa stretched on her tiptoes as they measured their heights on the bedroom doorway.

When the memories were so clear it was like looking through a scrapbook, she could forget that her father and only friend were gone. But loneliness was like the monster under her bed, sneaking up on her when she thinks it's safe.

That's when the feather helped.

Noire sat with her back against the beam of her doorway, with Severa's notches above her head keeping track of more memories. Cradled in her palm is the swan feather. She strokes the smooth silk of it. Brushing the feather against her cheek, she catches the tears before they could fall. She closed her eyes, and could almost pretend it was her father wiping away her tears.

l*l*l*l

Eventually Noire stopped looking outside her window.

Every time she did, the world seemed duller, like a fading painting. The grass wasn't as lush, and the trees hunch over as if in desolation. At first Noire thought it was just her mood affecting her viewpoint.

Then the flowers that Daddy had planted started to wilt, and Noire knew it wasn't just her. Noire picked the weeds and watered every day, but the flowers continued to droop. Soon there was nothing left but withered husks.

Noire yanked them out. What did it matter? Daddy wouldn't see the flowers again. Not ever. She ripped the dead husks to shreds, then threw them as hard as she could. Her hands were sticky with the plant juices. She squeezed them until her fingers hurt, but it wasn't enough to stop her tears. Once one escaped, a torrent followed. There was no one to wrap their arms around her as her shoulders shuddered with each wave of tears.

Finally, the tears ran as dry as the dead flowers, and exhaustion sank in. Noire let herself slump until her cheek was pressed to the ground. The ground wasn't warm, rich soil anymore, but dirt. Gritty, dusty dirt, and as her heavy eyelids drooped shut, she wondered why everything was dying.

l*l*l*l

"Wake up."

A hand on her shoulder. "Daddy?" Noire murmured.

Fingernails like needles digging into her skin. "Momma?"

"Go inside. Now."

That's when Noire realized how cold she was, the dirt beneath her like ice. She shivers, her breath a white wisp. The cold—magic.

A moaning sound makes her jump, and this time Noire shivers, but not from the cold. The fingernails lift, and Momma is yanking her to her feet. "Now!"

Noire stumbled into the house. When she looked back, Momma was facing the forest. An opened tome floated beside her, its pages whizzing with the same unseen force that blew Momma's hair and cloak. Night had fallen. The mist that carpeted the ground darkened into the fathomless pits of nightmares; in between the shadowy trees, purple eyes glow.

That's all Noire could see before Momma flicked her fingers and the door slammed shut. Noire recoiled, and all her motion moved to her racing heart and her rapid breaths. Then the moans came again, louder and louder, and Noire unfroze.

For the first time, she doesn't hesitate when she bolted down to the basement, racing through the darkness. It felt like years before she saw the light of the candles in Momma's laboratory. Noire whipped her head around, accessing the room, before she dove under the table.

The candlelight threw shadows on the wall. Before she thought they looked like evil spirits, but now she saw them as nothing more but reminders of what's waiting outside.

She only remembered the long feather she had stuck in her hair when it drooped into her face, loosened in her haste. She plucked it out and held it close to her chest while the candlelight flickered.

l*l*l*l

It seemed to go on forever. Outside, the night howled. Noire curled tighter into a ball each time the room shook, dust showering down from the ceiling, and wished that Severa could scare away the monsters.

Finally, the howling ceased. Noire listened for it to start again, but the night remained deadly silent. Then the door creaked.

Momma stumbled into the room. Clothes ripped; skin bloodied; and tome spent of nearly all of its pages. But alive.

l*l*l*l

Noire may have feared the laboratory, but she knew it like the back of her hand. It took her less than a moment to fetch the elixirs and measure it out onto a spoon. When she moved to give it to Momma, the medicine spilled from her shaking hand. Momma's was no better when she seized the spoon, threw it against the wall, and chugged the elixir from the bottle. It clattered empty the ground.

Momma wiped her mouth on her sleeve and pushed herself up, leaning heavily on the worktable for support. Noire rushed to help, but Momma shoved her away. "Useless!" she hissed. "Grima is rising, and you are powerless."

"I'm not!" Noire cried. "I can-I can l-l-learn! I c-can learn m-m-magic, like y-you!"

"NO!" Momma swept her arm across the table, wiping bottles and body pieces to the ground. She gripped the table edge. "No… You are a little mouse," she murmured in a singsong voice that Noire couldn't remember her using before. "A mouse that needs a new toy…"

She kept muttering about a 'power source' and 'needing more' as she rushed about the room, rummaging through the shelves and cupboards. Noire tried to creep back upstairs, but froze when Momma stabbed a finger in her direction. "STAY!"

Noire stopped.

Momma's legs shook, but her hands were steady when she grabbed a knife. No pain crossed her face as she sliced her palm. A bloody gash; she squeezed her fist. Blood trickled out, sizzling when the drops splattered the stone. Ancient words dripped from her tongue like poison from a snake. The temperature plunged. All at once, the candles blew out, plunging the room into darkness. Smoke stung the air.

Slowly, the room filled with a crimson light. It was radiating from within the stone.

Noire pressed her hands to her ears, but Momma continued to chant. Like ink in water, scarlet swirls stained the stone until the white was swallowed up by a shade of starless night.

Momma ceased chanting. The light from the stone dimmed, but did not go off. Its glassy surface undulated, as if glowing red smoke had been encased inside.

A flick of the sorceress's hand and the candles relit.

Noire exhaled. Her relief was brief when Momma swept towards her, the stone in hand. "Take it."

Noire shook her head. "B-but I don't—"

"I didn't ask." Momma yanked her arm, prying her palm open. She shoved the stone into it.

A force slammed into Noire. It was like walking into a windstorm, and her lungs fought to draw breath. Black smoke clouded her vision. She could just peer through it to see her mother's strained but triumphant face looking back at her.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" she howled, her voice hers but…stronger. Like thunder. Her blood pounded in her ears and her heart slammed into her chest like as if it had been zapped by lightening. For the first time Noire tasted anger.

Mother only smiled.

"I gave you power."

l*l*l*l

Noire spent most of her time in the laboratory thereafter, where Mother gave her lessons.

At first Noire was afraid when the smoke would roll over her like a storm. But Mother taught her. She taught her how to use the talisman, how to see past the smoke so it only tinged the edges of her mind. She taught her to harness the energy that pulsed from the stone, and to disperse it throughout her body as raw power.

The best part?

When Noire stood in the eye of the storm, she was no longer afraid.