"It's not working."
"Didn't expect it to."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah. Imps have evil magic, twisted magic. That girl's brain is probably so messed up, there's no point keeping her alive."
"But the queen said-"
"I know what she said. But it's not going to work."
"So what do we do?"
"Don't think there's much we can do. Just keep her alive until the queen says otherwise."
"What'd you think she's doing to that imp?"
"Hopefully what it deserves."
"You think the marks are real?"
"Hard to say."
"I heard a dryad confirmed it."
"For all we know, the dryad could be tainted with imp magic too."
"Is that possible?"
"Probably. Imps will do anything to get their way."
"Why do you think it picked the girl though?"
"Maybe because of her father? He's on the Council, right?"
"Think so."
"Maybe it's a plan, maybe they wanted to take over from the inside."
"Ooh, maybe. Wait, someone's coming." Shushing began, back and forth for a moment, hurriedly silenced as footsteps drew nearer. "Your Majesty." There was a clink of armour, presumably from bowing. "The prisoner refuses to eat and-"
"Hush now, she is not our prisoner. She is our patient."
"Oh, of course. Sorry, your Majesty."
"It is quite alright. You said she's not eating?"
"No, your Majesty. She threw food at Mal here-"
"Did not come out easily, your Majesty."
"-and then she was rather rude."
"Do not be too harsh on the girl. She is still contaminated with imp magic. Now step aside, let me through."
"Yes, your Majesty." The guards spoke in chorus. A few seconds later, the series of locks clicked and clonked until the door squeaked open. Queen Atala swept in, bedecked in jewels and a lilac silk dress. Lody frowned up at her, pouring as much defiance as she could into her glower. The door swung shut.
"Now, now, little one, there is no need for such a look. I am here to help!" Atala placed her hands on her knees, leaning down to be nearer to eye level with Lody.
"Where's Bibi?"
"That is none of your concern, child."
"What are you doing to her?"
"That is-"
"TELL ME!" Lody screamed. Atala's hand shot out, cracking her across the cheek.
"You will mind your tongue, little one. I am your queen, you will be wise to respect that." Atala pinched Lody's chin in a grip, her fingernails cutting into the girl's skin. "I will free you of that imp's meddling, I will work to return you to our society-"
"There is no meddling." Lody scowled. "And I don't want to be a part of your society if you hurt Bibi!" Atala's grip tightened, droplets of blood peeling onto her nails.
"That imp's mother has been spotted in a village on our outskirt. The Guard have been assembled, she will not get far."
"You underestimate her."
"No. We did, once, but we will not make that mistake again. I will not make that mistake again." Atala shoved her away, studying the blood on her fingertips. "So, let's try that again, shall we? I will free your mind of-"
"What have you done with Bibi?"
"-of that imp's meddling-"
"Just tell me what you've done!"
"-I will work to return you to our society-"
"Where's Bibi?"
"-or I'll have no choice but to kill you."
"Then kill me. But tell me what you've done to Bibi first."
"No. I will not give you that satisfaction."
Nidas sighed. Angea, having stopped at her home to recharge in her fauna, was floating before him, considering the set of paths. "Angea, as much fun as this is, I would really rather find my daughter."
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just… if we go left, I know the path is riddled with traps set by the Guard. The right takes longer and has so many twists and turns through the forest, it is very easy to get lost. We could wind up further from Bibi than we would realise, may never come back out."
"And the middle?"
"Is our best bet…"
"But?"
"But it will have a battalion of Guard waiting for us." Angea grimaced. Nidas tapped his finger on his chin, humming. "Middle path?"
"What sort of traps on the left?" He pointed. Angea blinked at him. "What?"
"I'm sorry, I thought the Valdez family were renowned fighters?"
"Ah, that old chestnut. Well, bug lady, my wife is a renowned fighter and has been training the children. I am more of a renowned engineer."
"You can't fight?"
"I can, but I'd rather avoid it."
"So, you want to go left?"
"I'd have more luck with traps than the Fae Guard." Nidas nodded. Angea sighed, settling on his shoulder. "If Isa were here, I'd definitely take the middle path. But I would very much prefer keeping my head on my shoulders and my body free from pointy things. This way!" He beamed, marching down the left path.
"You're rather strange, aren't you?" Nidas offered a lopsided grin, but his heart wasn't in it. Angea patted his cheek comfortingly. "I will help you as best I can, Nidas. I will guide you to Lody. With luck, we will meet Isa and Bibi and escape."
"Lots of luck."
"Yes, of course. This is madness."
"Welcome to the family, mija. We are madness."
Angea did not doubt him on that. How they survived the left path, she had no idea. There were traps every few feet- bits of path that fell away into pits of wooden spikes or sharp rocks. Trees that were charmed to snare anyone that got too close within their roots, rocks or logs primed to fall on their heads, darts that flew from hidden places to poison or paralyse them. Nidas weaved his way through everything, laughing and disabling the mechanics, dodging the magic, taking delight in several of the set-ups and critiquing others in how he would improve them. Angea was sure her heart would not cope with anymore when she realised the end of the path was now in sight.
"There!" She beamed. Nidas grabbed her before she flew on, a tree falling in their path with an almighty crash and roaring of shaken branches.
"Ow, my foot." He deadpanned. Angea looked down, seeing he stood a half dozen steps from the trunk. Nidas smiled, flicking a leaf from his shoulder. He let her go and clambered over the log. "Mm," he hummed, contemplating the ground, "tricky, tricky." He hopped diagonally to the left, slowly working his way through a higgledy-piggledy game of hopscotch, never letting his focus shift from the path. Angea followed along beside him, not daring to speak in case she broke his concentration.
Once his smile returned and he marched on, she alighted on his shoulder.
"What was that?"
"Kabooms. Clever work, but not on my to-do list. Not today, anyway."
"Should I be worried?"
"Nah."
Isa lurched, stomach broiling. Her head spinning, vision blurring, she could not discern what lay before her. Nor could she tell what was real and what haunted her. Perhaps both.
The screams had not settled, plaguing her ears with such force, it seemed to resonate in her bones. She had left the village behind, ducking into the treeline once more. The black star she had been following was long gone. In this state, she would never see it again.
Bile seared the back of her throat. Her hands scrabbled on a tree trunk as she doubled over, battling to keep it down, gulping for air. The metallic tang of blood writhed through her nose, her lungs. She could taste the coppery bitterness, could not spit it away.
Come on, she mentally scolded, come on, you have to get to Bibi, move!
She staggered, shoulder-slammed a tree and fell, twigs and dried leaves crackling under her hands. But she did not see them. She saw carnage, festooned in liquid crimson, littered with strewn remains, the last of the screams cut short with a soft, wet ripping sound she could not unhear.
A lone face loomed before her, scarred on one side, grinning under a shelf of blond hair. Eyes of blue scorned her with an amusement she would not benefit from. Luke spoke to her, his voice momentarily replacing the screaming.
I told you you'd never be nothing more than a monster. And you deserve exactly what a monster gets. He smiled, one corner of his mouth tipping up slightly more than the other in a sneer. What are you, Louisa? What did you do?
"You… made me…"
Oh, don't be stupid. We're far past that now. I never made you do anything.
"Liar…"
Just come back, Louisa, come back to me. You won't save her. You won't save anyone. You're a monster. You're only good to kill.