She waited at the gates of the castle, waited for him to come out. But he never did. She waited for hours, and then she was certain that he was dead. She went to her mistress, without her mistress having called her, for the first time ever. Her mistress was having dinner, in her private chambers. She looked up at Renee, and smiled. That was not right. Her mistress smiled like that when she knew that she had won, and there was no hope for those who oppposed her.
"Renee," she said. "Why don't you sit?" she asked.
That was very wrong. No one asked an animal to sit. Renee sat, in the chair, feeling immensely uncomfortable.
"Where is the huntsman?" she asked.
"What do you care?" Elisa asked.
"I am just curious to know," Renee replied.
"He's still in the castle," Elisa said.
"Where?" Renee asked again.
Elisa smirked. "Let's just say he's in a safe place," she said.
"What did you do?" Renee asked.
"Oh, nothing of consequence," Elisa said, standing and walking over to the window.
Renee stood as well. "What did you do?" she asked again, her voice dangerously low.
Elisa turned. "I took his heart," she said. "He belongs to me now."
Renee shifted, luinging for her mistress's throat. She didn't make it. She dropped to the ground, howling in pain. Elisa walked over and crouched down next to her.
"Do you remember the first command I ever gave you?" she whispered in Renee's ear. Renee shrieked, shifting in between Wolf and Nymph as she writhed on the ground in agony.
"I told you never to touch me. Ever." She stood, walking away.
"Let him go," she whispered. "Just let him go."
"You know, he loved you," Elisa said. Renee froze. Elisa walked back over to Renee. "You both loved each other, so very much. But now, you'll never see one another again. I'll make sure of that," she said.
Renee curled up into a ball. And she made an oath then. No matter what it cost her, she would kill her mistress. She would kill her mistress, and earn her freedom, and Rornek's freedom.
"Renee," she said. "Why don't you sit?" she asked.
That was very wrong. No one asked an animal to sit. Renee sat, in the chair, feeling immensely uncomfortable.
"Where is the huntsman?" she asked.
"What do you care?" Elisa asked.
"I am just curious to know," Renee replied.
"He's still in the castle," Elisa said.
"Where?" Renee asked again.
Elisa smirked. "Let's just say he's in a safe place," she said.
"What did you do?" Renee asked.
"Oh, nothing of consequence," Elisa said, standing and walking over to the window.
Renee stood as well. "What did you do?" she asked again, her voice dangerously low.
Elisa turned. "I took his heart," she said. "He belongs to me now."
Renee shifted, luinging for her mistress's throat. She didn't make it. She dropped to the ground, howling in pain. Elisa walked over and crouched down next to her.
"Do you remember the first command I ever gave you?" she whispered in Renee's ear. Renee shrieked, shifting in between Wolf and Nymph as she writhed on the ground in agony.
"I told you never to touch me. Ever." She stood, walking away.
"Let him go," she whispered. "Just let him go."
"You know, he loved you," Elisa said. Renee froze. Elisa walked back over to Renee. "You both loved each other, so very much. But now, you'll never see one another again. I'll make sure of that," she said.
Renee curled up into a ball. And she made an oath then. No matter what it cost her, she would kill her mistress. She would kill her mistress, and earn her freedom, and Rornek's freedom.