On their way back to the castle, Cassandra could not shake her conversation with Gibbin from her head. What had started as an eventful story of hunting had turned into an all-too-relatable reflection of character. As much as she would have disagreed at first, the two of them had their similarities.

He may not have had a love for blood but he enjoyed the path leading up to it. The man craved victory and a reminder of his place in the world. Such a mindset was the same for her back at home. How good was Cassandra Dimitrescu if she wasn't the best killer that the castle had to offer?

She figured that her loss to Ethan was the cause of what was stirring around inside of her since she got to this place. She had never been bested before and such an outcome left a sour taste on her tongue.

To suffer defeat and be left to re-gather oneself was hard enough. Mixing it with a new world and people that she did not understand, Cassandra was genuinely lost – within this realm and herself.

Gibbin said that Milo saw "the good" in her. What good was there, she thought? She reveled in her merciless nature. Hearing the screams and cries of countless victims over the years brought her immense pleasure. She wanted their agony and would do anything to obtain it. Even her ruthless mother would occasionally remark that her daughter was crueler than anyone she had seen before. Such statements were the closest that Cassandra ever felt to impressing her.

She wasn't the young leader or the blossoming artist, like Bela and Daniela. If she couldn't be those, then she would be the perfect killer. House Dimitrescu's sword, covered in blood and ready to swing at anyone who dared stand in its way or deserving enough to wind up on its table.

If Milo could see any good in her, he was either blind or a liar.

There was no good, she believed. Her reserved nature was just her holding back while she waited for everything to be set in place to where she could get home. If she managed to kill Milo, Lia, or anyone else, she'd be stuck here.

Stuck in this world with its insufferable people.

Vasan was lucky that she did not demolish him when she had the chance. A brazen act such as grabbing her arm deserved much more brutal consequences. Had this been her village, she would have run her sickle down his stomach with a second thought.

These people – the poils – did not seem to understand cruelty. The smiles on their faces disgusted Cassandra. She felt the urge to throw up swirling in her stomach the more she thought about them. It was no wonder that they all coward like sheep the moment she lashed out. They were weak.

Leta seemed to have been the bravest one or the most naïve – Cassandra couldn't decide which. She deserved credit for what she did back there, however. Vasan would have been gravely injured had the girl not intervened and stopped her. Most children would have hidden away. Certainly naïve, she concluded.

Leta crawled hand over feet as the adolescent pulled herself up the steep incline, trying to keep her bag away from the dirt. It was the same hill that they had passed on the way to the town an hour ago. There were easier ways to get around, but neither of them suggested taking them. It would appear that both wanted the challenge of going up like this.

Once they got to the top, she dusted off the ends of her dress and smiled with that long grin that Cassandra had now grown used to seeing. "Acomb was fun, wasn't it?" Leta glanced at the settlement in the near distance.

"Hardly," Cassandra remarked. "Gibbin's story was entertaining, I'll give him that. He was kind enough to give us a little extra food at the end." Cassandra turned around to the road ahead of them. "The reward for listening to such a far-fetched tale, I suppose."

Leta looked back at her. "It is true, you know? Milo and my sister did save him," she replied, dismayed that Cassandra would have thought it was all made up.

"I guess," she shrugged, glancing back at Leta briefly. "If these dhins are so fearsome, how could he have survived not one but two all by himself?"

"Mr. Gibbin nearly died that day, I swear. He is not a liar."

"I think he's told people that story countless times. I'll say that much."

Leta shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what could convince Cassandra at this point. "I was very young when Gibbin was rescued by my sister. I only recall seeing her stand up from her seat and rushing over to Milo with urgency in her voice before vanishing. They wouldn't let me see his injuries, but I was there when he regained his health." The girl's eyebrows perked up as she added one last piece of information. "It was like when you arrived. I was not allowed to be around, but Lia felt your presence."

"How so?" Cassandra's eyes locked down on the child, wanting to know more.

"I've been told that some fawns can just feel when something isn't right. If someone has been hurt or danger is near, the stronger ones can sense it."

Danger is near, Leta. She was correct.

"Your sister has many gifts," Cassandra spoke with hidden sarcasm, which Leta failed to see. As interested as she was in finding out what the fawns were capable of, she had her fill of hearing about Lia. If that woman wasn't vital to her getting back home, she'd love to have her head in a wine bowl.

"She does. More than most of the other fawns that Milo has seen. That's why we have to get this medicine to her so that she can resume helping him. I think whatever they're working on is very important."

"Well, then we must go," Cassandra ushered her on as she began to carefully walk down the steep slope. Leta joined her, remaining attentive to where her feet were so that she would not slip and roll down. It would still be at least a half-hour back, but with the castle in sight, the trip would not feel as long.

As the clouds moved across the Specter Moons in a spares pattern, Cassandra enjoyed the slight reprieve she had gotten from the heat above. She wanted to take her hood off to air out her head and neck, but not while the child was there. For now, this would be the best thing she could have as long as Leta was with her.

"When will we get to go outside again?" Cassandra asked.

"I don't know," Leta answered. "We have everything we need for now. This should be sufficient until my sister recovers."

So, I go from being cooped up in one castle to another? Great…

The woman's amber eyes could not stop staring at the forest around them. As Milo's castle loomed ahead in the distance, she couldn't shake the old feelings of her summers back at home. When she would return after a hunt, seeing the castle reminded her of the isolation that she could never truly escape from. When fall was approaching and the temperature dropped to risky levels, knowing that it would be months until she could be let back out was the worst.

This castle was no different. As soon as they re-entered, it would be back to confinement inside that damned place. The town of Acomb was nothing special to her. In fact, she hated it. To be by herself, free to go wherever she pleased was what Cassandra yearned for – what was always being taken from her.

She stopped walking and set down the basket in her hands.

Leta made it a few steps ahead before she realized that she was the only one moving. "Miss Cassandra?" She turned around. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She kept her eyes on the trees. The desire to go into the forest flowed through her veins, amplified by the idea that she would not be going back out today – or possibly anytime soon.

After a short pause, she walked off of the dirt path onto the grass without another word to be spoken. Leta ceased her walking, nervous as to what the woman was about to do.

Anxiety coated her words. "Miss Cassandra, where are you going?"

Ignoring her, she continued to casually march down the field, nearing the line of trees close by. The allure of the woods grew stronger as she approached the tall trunks. She gazed at the masses of long branches, decorated with various colors of leaves from top to bottom. It was breathtaking.

Leta could still be heard yelling for her from afar. "Miss Cassandra! Don't leave me out here!"

She stopped only to turn her head and point at the castle near the hill. "You're a big girl. You can walk back home."

"I can't be alone," Leta pleaded as she stood there, much to Cassandra's annoyance.

Trying my patience at every turn...

"It's not that hard." Cassandra raised her voice. "I'll be back. Don't wait for me."

Unwilling to be left standing on the road by herself, Leta reached down to pick up Cassandra's basket before taking off to meet up with her. The girl struggled to carry both at once, nearly losing her footing as the hefty container collied with her legs over and over again.

Cassandra paid no mind to the young fawn and walked closer to the woods. The shade offered from the nearby trees shadowed her pale face. The forest was vast, but not overly dense. There was plenty of room to walk around and explore. The ground was a mixture of grass, exposed soil, rocks, and sticks; just like any other. The trees were incredibly tall – at least twice as much as the ones she used to see.

It was a tempting sight as she wanted to disperse into a swarm of flies and frolic around, searching for something that she could ambush. She'd explore every nook and cranny of the environment if she could, free from the walls that encapsulated her day after day.

She rested her right hand against the bark of one of the trees, a thousand-yard stare locked on the beauty ahead. A smooth exhale of the fresh air offered by the leaves and foliage – she was at her second home again.

Cassandra had been starved of such sights for so long and yearned to once again dive into it. The summer that had gone by before the snow returned yielded a bittersweet turnout back at home. She had not been allowed out much due to her mother's newfound concerns about the temperature outside.

It had stayed above suitable levels and as far as Cassandra knew – enough to venture out into. If the day wasn't hot as the devil's quarters, then it was a no-go. To say it was a point of contention was an understatement, despite her unwillingness to ever talk back to the woman who raised her. Deep inside, Cassandra felt cheated at something she felt she had earned after another long bout of patience during the cold season prior.

The negativity brewing in her heart following the watered-down summer may have been what contributed to her above-average irritability during the following winter months, she suspected. Daniela had offered to talk about it on one occasion, but the offer was turned down with a side of animosity.

Her sisters always got what they wanted while she never asked for much. Talking with them would be a reminder of why she was so angry in the first place. All she saw were others who were content with their surroundings, while she was the one who was out of place.

They didn't understand – and neither would Leta.

The town was a change of scenery, but the sight of the many poils that lingered about did nothing her help her stress. Over here was solitude where she could unwind. A place among the trees and grass, with the soft wind flowing all around her. She hated the thought of returning to that castle and having to stare at it from a window yet again. This was her chance to be free, if not just for a little bit.

As she heard the girl catching up to her, Cassandra shook her head, moving past the initial set of trees and venturing deeper into the forest. She would not wait for the child. The light from the sky above became shuttered by the various branches and leaves that divided the atmosphere. She felt the first snap of the twigs beneath the soles of her shoes.

It was so beautiful.

"Miss Cassandra!" Leta yelled again. That voice, beckoning her to turn away from what she wanted. The girl might as well have been a manifestation of everything in Cassandra's life that kept her from happiness.

Withholding her words, she continued to move through the various foliage that sprouted from the ground. The wet, mossy scent swirled through her nostrils, bringing back memories of many great hunts that she had done in the past. She wanted to venture further but remained wary of getting lost.

Nonetheless, the sound of Leta's persistent running compelled her to press on. The girl's labored breathing coupled with the frantic kicking of grass and sticks showed that she was fighting harder to reach her. Cassandra glanced back one more time, seeing a disheveled mess as the basket and bag that she carried swung wildly around her. Her hair was frazzled and her face pink as ever.

Why couldn't you just stay out there?

With a short grunt, Cassandra continued on, spotting a clearing not far away. She combed through the brush, maneuvering past the flora before hitting the sparse section that would make for a comfortable resting spot. It was as big as the Main Hall at Castle Dimitrescu; rounded with adequate room to walk around. The boulder that rested on the ground was about the size of a small horse.

That was as far as she'd go – as far as she needed to go.

She made her way deeper into the woods, roughly a hundred feet. The bright glow of the grass outside of the perimeter disappeared not long after their entry. Leta tried to remember the direction in which they were heading, noting the markings and shape of the trunks and rocks that existed around them. It could be easy to get lost if they went in the wrong direction.

Trying to catch up to Cassandra served to hinder any notable details, as the woman's legs picked up some speed and the distance between them broadened. Leta then decided to set down the bag and basket and began running after her as fast as she could.

Cassandra heard the acceleration, but she would be reduced to running away from a mere child. She maintained her speed, her rage boiling inside. She wanted to be left alone. To have one moment for herself – was that so much to ask?

She entered the clearing, stopping as soon as her first couple of steps into the space were taken. There was no sign of the outside world around her. She could pretend that she was back in Romania and not in some other realm.

Leta's footsteps slowed down, the loud crunching of leaves and sticks giving way to her panting breath. Cassandra stepped away from the edge and walked into the clearing, eyeing the large bolder just up ahead.

"Miss Cassandra," Leta gasped for air, breathless from all the running that she had done, "we need to go back."

"I told you to return to the castle." Cassandra slowed down before stopping as well, her voice elevated. "Why did you follow me?"

"Because we…" Leta reared back to breathe again. Cassandra glanced over to the winded child, finding the sight weak and pathetic. "Because we are supposed to just go to the town and come back."

"I need some time outside of that place," Cassandra snarled.

Leta coughed as she cleared her throat and walked over to try and reason with the difficult woman. She feared that disobeying Milo would reflect poorly upon her and wanted to get back on track before anything bad could happen.

"I'll talk to Milo. Maybe next time –"

Cassandra instantly spun around and faced her, more irritable than she was a second ago. "I said leave! What do you not understand?"

Leta stopped in her tracks, scared to get any closer. Her brows creased up, timid like any other child who had just been yelled at by an adult. Cassandra went to turn back to the rock but Leta's attempts at persuading her to return did not end.

"Please, we should go back."

Her fists shook beside her body. Her teeth bared themselves yet again. "How stupid can you be? Do you not understand simple words? Leave!"

The pink complexion on the girl's face darkened to a shade of red. Her lips quivered and both eyes began to stream a set of tears. She tried to get a response out but her jaw locked in a wince. The only noise that she could make was her high-pitched voice breathing a small whimper.

Cassandra's condescending face lowered and her voice was as neutral as ever. "What are you crying about?"

Leta tried to force the words out, but all she could do was moan a subdued wail. Tucking her head and wiping one of the tears away, she heard a tired groan from Cassandra – who had become disinterested in talking with her any further.

Finally, she found the strength to express her mind. "No matter what I do, you're always so mean!"

With a scoff, Cassandra shrugged her shoulder and shook her head. "Maybe I'm not a nice person. Did you ever think about that?"

Leta's hands were shaking as she smacked them against her side. "Why? Why can't you give me a chance?"

Cassandra wanted to laugh at what she was hearing. She could not believe that she was having this talk with a child. Now, it was time to set the record straight. If Leta wanted to remain persistent, then she was in for some hurt feelings.

"Me being nice is me not putting my hands on you. You are constantly finding ways to test my patience, child." Cassandra's eyes filled with resentment as they locked on to the girl. "If we were in my world, I would be mean, remember that."

The girl's hair fell over her face as she tucked her chin, forcing her to push it out of the way as she cleared more of her tears. She had never been talked to in such a manner before and while it frightened her, she continued to speak her mind between her sobbing. "I know you're leaving but I hoped we'd become friends."

Laughter suddenly escaped from Cassandra's lungs. She clutched her stomach as she cackled on, repeating those words over and over in her head. "'Friends?'" She smiled as her giggling slowed down. "I don't need friends. I don't want friends. All I want is to be alone and you can't seem to understand that."

"Miss Cassandra, I –"

"Maybe I gave you the wrong impression," she wiggled her index finger at Leta. "I've been too friendly around you. Perhaps, I should have broken your hand when you woke me up in such a manner."

The girl's wailing grew louder before she cried back to her. "I apologized for that! I'm sorry!"

"It doesn't matter because I don't forgive you!" Cassandra shouted as she began to walk up to her, prompting Leta to back away until she stumbled and fell on her bottom. The woman closed the gap and stood over the little girl. "Why would I? You're the most annoying pest that I have ever seen. I can't even sleep without you bothering me!"

"I just thought the mark on your head looked nice and I wanted to get one," she covered her face with her hands.

The entire exchange wore down Cassandra's patience. Hearing Leta's high-pitched wails only drove her anger to higher levels. "What would give you such a stupid idea?"

"I thought we could match. I am sorry! I just wanted to be like you!"

…What?

Cassandra's eyes widened as her mouth dropped. Something inside her had re-awoken. "You didn't just say –" Her hands trembled as a cascade of thoughts pummeled her soul. She backed away from Leta, quickly turning and walking as fast as she could to the rock nearby.

Leta watched as she stopped in front of the stone, slamming her fist against it over and over. She did not understand what had caused the sudden abrupt turnaround, but whatever it was; Cassandra had become distressed. It was risky to approach the woman, as she was likely more volatile than before.

Still, something inside Leta told her to go over there. She could not just leave Cassandra by herself. Not now. Not like this.

Leta got up from the ground and without bothering to shake the dirt and leaves from her clothing, focused on the troubled woman not far away. A scream ripped across the air before Cassandra sunk lower, falling onto her right knee.

Cautiously walking up to her, Leta cleared the rest of the tears from her face. Her hands extended outward in a show of peace, trying not to antagonize her heightened emotions. As she got closer, Cassandra's breathing grew deep and heavy with not just rage – but sadness.

"Miss Cassandra…"

She wouldn't look at the young fawn. Her eyes stayed shut, eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth angled into a sharp frown. "Why would you want me as a friend?" Her voice was strained, cracking towards the end. "I wouldn't be a good friend. I'm not even a good sister."

Castle Dimitrescu – February 6th, 2022

Daniela picked up another one of her books off of the floor and cradled it in her hand as she watched Cassandra moving about the room. Her sibling was restless as she searched for more discarded literature. In the process, she began to become careless in the way that she handled them, unintentionally or not.

Cassandra pushed one of the chairs out of the way, grunting despite it requiring no physical effort whatsoever. Her eyes flared as she spotted another work underneath it. She snagged it from the ground with a firm swipe. "They are everywhere," she groaned loudly before tossing it toward the sofa nearby.

Unfortunately, for Daniela, the book struck the arm of the furniture, crashing back onto the hardwood floor.

She couldn't stand back any longer and watch as her sister mishandled the rest of her coveted novels. She flew over to pick the book back up, turning back to Cassandra as soon as she had it in her hands.

"You need to slow down," she said. "You're damaging them."

Cassandra's hoard of flies buzzed all around her, forming a large, dark cloud of anger as her vague shape emerged from within them. One by one, more of the insects joined up, rendering her body nearly complete. Now, her sister could see just how furious she was.

"Oh!" Cassandra yelled. "So, it's alright if my belongings get damaged, right?"

Daniela began to display her exasperation, huffing as she stomped her foot on the floor. "It's not about that! You are purposely throwing them around, Cass! You know how much I like them."

"And you know how much I enjoy my trophies?" Cassandra continued to fume and stopped Daniela before she could get another word out. "Don't even say anything because I know you do. You knew that when you went up there and started taking things off the walls."

"I already said that I was sorry," she begged her. "I promised that I would fix it. I didn't mean to break it!"

Cassandra wasn't having a single bit of it. All she could think about was how much her sibling had gotten away with throughout these years. All three of them were expected to have clean quarters. Yet, here was the library in total disarray and the one responsible for it was the same one who always received their mother's soft side.

On top of that, because her sister couldn't keep this place straight, she was sent here to help, which could only be thought of as some unjust form of punishment. As far as Cassandra knew, she had not done anything to warrant such a task. Maybe if Bela wasn't such a kiss-up to their mother and went out of her way to do things, the hard work that she did would have been recognized.

But she wasn't that impressive, wasn't she? Nothing she did in this castle seemed to matter. The more she pondered it, the more irrelevant cleaning up the library seemed to become. Even if she did square it away, her mother wouldn't care. It would only be an issue if it wasn't cleaned and then suddenly all the responsibility and the blame fell back on Cassandra's shoulders.

To see Daniela yell back at her after being confronted with what she thought was the truth, Cassandra's anger skyrocketed. The naïve sibling of hers had stepped on her final nerve.

"You can't fix anything, Daniela," she screamed, approaching the redhead with her finger pointed inches away from her face. With the novel cradled against her chest, she turned her head to the side, saddened that Cassandra was back to yelling at her like before. "All you do is ruin everything you touch. It's bad enough that I already can't trust you to be in my area, but I have to be in yours just to make it better!" Venom spat from her mouth like a poisonous snake, all while her sister looked on.

"I don't need you to clean –" Daniela tried to emphasize her view but before she could finish what she had to say, Cassandra pushed her to the ground, knocking one of the nearby chairs over. Daniela yelped as she hit the floor, uninjured, but in shock at what had happened.

"And I don't need you," her scornful tone shot out at her.

"What?" Daniela could not believe what she had just heard. She always thought of her sister as her best friend and while they've had their differences, it didn't change the bond between them. Cassandra had gotten explosively angry in the past – but never like this.

"You heard what I said." Her face twisted with animosity. "If I could be away from you, it would be a great life. But sadly, that is not the case. I have to live with you and your pitiful habits. I only wish mother treated you more harshly. Maybe then you'd be better."

Daniela covered her mouth as she gasped. "You don't mean that. I know you don't."

Cassandra glared at the assortment of books around her. The sight of them inflamed her soul. "All you care about is these damn books. They're not real, Daniela. None of them are real!" She paced around until a certain one seated on the stand beside the reading chair caught her attention.

It was an old novel, with a blue cover and ornate designs etched across its cover by whoever had published it. In the center lay a feathered bookmark – the only book that had one. She instantly realized that this was the novel that Daniela was currently reading.

She had not shut up about it over the last few days. While Daniela often went on and on about whichever story she was going through during any given week, the frequency of this one was unending. It stood to reason that perhaps this one was her favorite.

"Cassandra?" She became alarmed when she saw where her sister was heading. "Where are you going?"

Cassandra placed her hand on top of the novel, her middle finger circling the edge of the front cover, "You think you're going to find love someday? You're nothing but a child, and no man would ever fall for someone like you. I'm doing them a favor by killing them, you know? That way, they don't have to listen to your nonsense."

"Cassandra…please…"

With a small giggle, Cassandra smiled at her sibling; who grew increasingly worried at what she was about to do. "And I say I'm not merciful, ha!"

Daniela's eyes were glued to the book, her dread soaring as her sister's fingers traveled down to where the bookmark was, digging in and throwing the novel open where she had left off. Cassandra's eyelids curled as her smile broadened. Whenever her sister put on that face, it was never a good sign for whoever it was that was on the receiving end of it. There would be no reasoning with her at this point.

"I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you," Daniela pleaded, hands cupped together in front of her.

With a hum, Cassandra shifted her eyes back down onto the pages below her, her hand spread against them. "Don't worry, I'll take care of that."

To Daniela's horror, Cassandra began tearing out the pages, ripping them directly from the spine. She shrieked immediately, both hands drawing down her face as her sibling ravaged the novel like it was a small animal.

"No! What are you doing?!"

She would not answer, only dispersing flies from her backside to aid in shredding the paper. Daniela exploded into a swarm of her own and barreled toward her sister as fast as she could. The mass of insects collided with Cassandra, knocking her over and sending the book across the ground.

Through the eyes of her flies, Daniela tried to secure what remained of the novel and carry it away, but the ones from Cassandra were quick to overwhelm them, knocking them out of stability and pushing them back into a dense ball. She had no choice but to re-form and try to get past her, otherwise, the fight would go nowhere in her favor.

"Stop it!" Daniela howled as she regenerated back to her normal self, frantically moving around the sofa to get a clear path away from her sister.

Cassandra's swarm dove down, under the sofa, and through the chair legs, snatching the destroyed book right before her sister could clinch it. The mass carrying it re-formed into her arm, while the others joined suit and her complete body was left towering above her yet again.

"Is this all you care about?" Cassandra roared.

"That was my favorite book!" Daniela's voice broke as she slowly pulled her hands back in defeat.

"It's just a damn book!" Cassandra threw it at her, contempt for her sibling seething through her teeth. Daniela went to pick it up, clutching it in her arms. The sight of that reaffirmed all of her sister's preconceived notions about all the things that had been bothering her. This book – to Cassandra – was nothing more than proof that the world had to come to a complete stop for everyone else but her.

"I'm telling mother on you!"

Cassandra's eyes twitched. "What did you say you'll do?"

"I hate you!" Daniela cried out, reeling from the destruction of her book. "You're the worst sister!"

In that instant, Cassandra's eyes saw red. She was a volcano on the brink of erupting and all of her anger was about to come bursting out. She reached down, grabbing Daniela by her hair. Her sibling cried as she was pulled forward, desperately trying to fight off her grasp to no avail.

Cassandra delivered several blows to the back and sides of her head, striking her as hard as she could. The impact was suitable enough to cause Daniela pain, evidenced by her wails and yelps as she hit her. It all happened so quickly so neither of them had time to process the attack.

Cassandra shoved her sister's head against the floor, Daniela's strands of red hair tangled between her sibling's tight fingers. The brunette's hand shook wildly as she growled, eyes wide and locked down on the recipient of all her hate.

"Don't you ever say that to me again!" She screamed, lips curled and teeth flashed. "You don't deserve sisters. You don't deserve anything! This is what you get for breaking my things!"

Daniela sobbed, her tears causing the black eyeliner applied to her face to travel across the bridge of her nose and down her cheeks. All of Cassandra's words hit worse than a cold wind. She felt the sting of each one, devastated that this happened at all. She couldn't believe what she had just done to her.

"I touched your trophies because I hoped you'd teach me how to hunt," her voice cracked between her words. "I just wanted to be like you!"

"You're nothing like me. You're pathetic." Cassandra threw Daniela's head down one more time before she released her hand and dissolved into a cloud of flies, vacating the room.

Left to waddle in her misery, Daniela curled up with the ruined novel in her hands, sniffling against the cover. Dinner would be ready soon but all she wanted to do was fade away into the abyss. She knew that she had messed up earlier, but the woman never expected this kind of outcome. Her chest shook with each breath, nearly hyperventilating.

"I didn't mean to…"

Alcina sat down at the dinner table as the maids finished placing the trays and wine down. Straightening out her large, brimmed hat, she signaled to the staff that they may step away, as she was about to call the girls down to eat.

"Daughters!" She hollered, her loud voice echoing across the halls. "Come down for dinner."

Bela was the first one to arrive – as always. Her body materialized outside the door and she approached her mother, head bowed and arms behind her back. "Thank you, mother, you look lovely tonight."

"Did you assist the maids with the kitchen tonight? I was told that you were overseeing their cooking."

"Yes, mother."

Alcina smiled and gestured for Bela to take a seat. "You are very helpful, Bela. I can always count on you to get things done."

The praise given warmed Bela's heart, the feeling that she was constantly chasing. "Thank you, mother," she bowed and approached her chair to take a seat on the left side. As she got settled in, she noticed that she was still the only one who had come to the table. "Where are those sisters of mine?"

Before Alcina could call out again, another horde arose from the corner of the door – Cassandra. Forming under the doorframe, she glanced at her mother with a small grin.

"Cassandra," her mother asked, "where is Daniela?"

"She should be on her way. I heard you clear as day." Cassandra walked into the dining room. "Perhaps she is still in the library making some last-minute adjustments."

"Well, that can wait," Alcina replied as she directed Cassandra to take a seat. "Dinner is all set."

Cassandra nodded and took her spot on the right side of the table, unwilling to be near Bela. The servants had prepared a tasty feast of steak and lamb, mixed with an assortment of vegetables and potatoes. Multiple different bottles of wine had been set out for the women to enjoy. Their mother had even been so kind as to request a bottle of their signature blend to be brought up.

Her mouth practically salivated at the anticipation of the food and blood. She had been starving all day and now that hunger would be satiated. As she began to reach for the bottle, Bela was already extending her arm out to stop her.

"Wait for Daniela," she said.

"Ugh," Cassandra rolled her head. "Must we?"

"Yes," her mother stated as she turned around to glance at the door. "Where is she? We have been waiting long enough. Daniela?"

Bela couldn't help but notice that something was off. Daniela was never late for dinner like this. Her sister was always ready right on call. Her eyes glanced at Cassandra, who leaned back in her chair and shrugged her shoulders with a look as if she didn't know.

Alcina was beginning to grow tired of shouting. She wanted to have all three of her daughters with her and the absence of the youngest one would not be tolerated. Her chair was pushed back and her tall body began to rise from the table when all of a sudden, a trail of bugs seeped into the room ever so slowly.

Cassandra scoffed as she picked up an empty glass and waved it around in a circle. "Mystery solved."

Alcina paused before she sat back down, the swarm merging into the third and final daughter. Her dismay at Daniela's tardiness did not go unstated. "Where were you? Did you not hear me call?"

Daniela returned to her human form, but she was far from her cheery self. She looked drained of any happiness that was previously there. Instead, it was replaced with a sad and depressed woman who would not even look at those around her. Her eyeliner had traveled so far down her cheeks that it was as if a Lycan had clawed her face.

"I'm sorry, mother," she spoke in a timid, quiet tone. "I did not hear you."

There was a look of concern on Alcina's face as she studied her daughter's posture. She squinted her eyes, curious as to why she arrived late and like this. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Daniela kept her head down. "No mother..."

Cassandra chimed in. "I guess her book had a bad ending," she said with a laugh. Daniela remained quiet, while Bela raised an eyebrow at her. The redhead's face tightened as she nodded.

"You may sit down," Alcina said, unsure whether she believed it or not. She did not want to press the matter any further.

Daniela moved to take her seat in the middle, pausing as she got close to Cassandra. The brunette scooted her chair further to the left to move away. Daniela was still hesitant for reasons unknown to her mother and Bela. Upon seeing that they were all watching her, she sat down and moved closer to the table.

Alcina took up her fork and knife. "You may eat now, daughters."

Bela took her time preparing her napkins and utensils while Cassandra did not waste a second slicing into the meat and shoving it down her gullet. The squishing of her loud chewing was audible to the entire room. It lasted a dozen seconds before her mother, without even looking up, corrected her.

"Cassandra, you are a noblewoman, not a Lycan," she said. "Chew your food accordingly."

She ceased biting down on her meal, wanting to voice her displeasure but scared to do so. Instead, she swallowed the contents in her mouth and handed a nearby servant her empty wine glass.

"Yes, mother."

While Cassandra waited for her drink, Bela was busy cutting her steak into neat, tidy little cubes, taking an occasional bite whenever they required too much space on her plate. She was ravenous whenever it came to devouring people, but when it came to the dinner table – she had to have her best manners.

As Bela was about to eat another piece of steak, Cassandra's heated call toward the servant interrupted her peace. "It was supposed to be filled!" Her sister barked.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that not only had Daniela flinched, but she also had not touched her plate at all. Bela set her fork down and leaned over to check up on her.

"Daniela, aren't you hungry?"

Cassandra downed the glass of wine as she pointed to the servant to go back to the wall where she previously was. The middle child resumed feasting, careful to not disturb Alcina with any loud chewing. Her eyes briefly shifted over to her younger sister, as well as Bela.

The blonde could tell that something was amiss as Daniela was nowhere near as despondent earlier as she was now. She had been sad numerous times before, but this wasn't in her character. There were the occasional mood swings, but intuition told Bela that this was the result of someone else's doing; Cassandra.

Daniela glanced down at her food and sighed, a soft weeping cry underneath. She did everything in her power to not look over to her right, going as far as to tilt her head toward Bela but still abstaining from eye contact. The signs were all there, there was no arguing it.

Rearing her head up to Alcina, Daniela spoke in that same, subdued level she did when she first arrived. "Mother, may I be excused? I'm not hungry tonight."

Alcina stopped eating and set down her cutlery. She had suspicion written all over her face. Raising a brow at the statement, she turned an eye to Bela, seeing how concerned her eldest daughter appeared to be. Cassandra – meanwhile – couldn't care less and continued eating. She wasn't stupid. Something had happened.

Not wanting the matter to unfold at the dinner table, she granted Daniela her wish. "You may be excused, Daniela. If you find yourself hungry later, the servants will prepare something for you."

"Thank you, mother." Daniela stood up from her seat and dispersed as she flew away. The room was quiet, save for the sounds of Cassandra's plate being scraped by the prongs and serrations of her silverware.

Deep inside, the brunette was happy to see Daniela in such a state. She felt that it was only right for the torch of misery to be passed to one of her sisters, as they always got to enjoy their days here. It was an insult that Daniela could destroy one of her prized trophies and simply go back to the library and enjoy her books.

Life had not been fair and now she made it fair.

Cassandra glanced at Daniela's plate full of food. "Got to eat to be strong." She stabbed her fork into the steak. "I guess some of us just aren't." She pulled it over onto her own and began cutting into the chunk of flesh.

As Bela watched a smile of delight gleam on Cassandra's face, she wiped her mouth and set the napkin down beside her dish. "Mother, may I be excused as well?"

Cassandra paused, turning an eye over toward her other sister, a piece of steak still wedged between her teeth. To her surprise, Alcina did not question the request one single bit.

"Of course, Bela. Thank you for all you've done tonight."

With that said, the blonde faded away out of the room, leaving only Cassandra alone with their mother. The brunette continued to gulp down more of the food while Alcina increasingly became displeased at what she was seeing.

"Cassandra…" Her voice spoke slowly but with authority as her eyes narrowed. "That is enough for you tonight."

She stopped what she was doing, moving to swallow what was already in her throat before setting her forks down. Alcina could tell that her daughter was not happy with the command, but she would not tolerate any explanation – and Cassandra knew it.

"Yes, mother," she replied with her head down.

"Cassandra, look at me when I'm addressing you…"

Her face snapped up as commanded, eyes fixed on Alcina's. The air was tense as she felt her mother's stare grow more scrutinizing by the second. She had to have been waiting for a response.

"Yes, mother," Cassandra spoke again.

Alcina brought her fingers up to the bridge of her nose, shaking her head slowly. The tense pull of her brow spoke well of the frustration inside of her. "I was hoping to have an enjoyable dinner with my daughters tonight. That was all I wanted."

Cassandra could feel her heart sinking into her chest, fearing what was about to happen. She had gone from cocky to as timid as Daniela was. She knew that her mother was about to dole out another punishment. Would she have to spend the rest of the winter cleaning the castle?

Or, worse; would she not be allowed to leave when summer came?

The thought of having what she looked forward to the most out of the year taken away put Cassandra in panic mode. She expected the latter as the last few days had seemed to be nothing but an escalating streak of incidents with her name on them. She knew that if her mother found out about what she did to Daniela, there would be hell to pay.

She was strict about her daughters fighting one another. Sure, they had their natural squabbles here and there. Arguments were one thing, but to put hands on one another was strictly forbidden. Under the table, her fingers twitched nervously as she awaited what was about to be said.

Alcina removed her hand from her nose and pointed toward to hall just past the door. Her eyes remained focused on Cassandra, signaling a judgment of guilt on her part. "For your sake, I expect tomorrow to be better. Whatever happened between you and Daniela…fix it."

"Yes, mother," she nodded obediently. Truthfully, Cassandra hoped that Alcina would have at least asked her about how she felt. She wanted the chance to open up about her frustrations. It came off as another example of her wants and needs being overlooked in favor of the others.

She knew what she had done to Daniela wasn't right. In a way, Cassandra wanted one of her sisters to know what it was like to be unloved – to feel worthless. They acted so perfect and to knock one of them down made being at the bottom feel just a little less lonely.

It was that kind of company that came at the cost of everyone's respect for her as well as a negative outlook on Daniela's already fragile well-being. Cassandra got what she wanted for the moment, but, now that time was over and she'd have to live with the consequences.

It was back to square one. Once again, she felt like a failure as a daughter – and now as a sister. The high of her retribution was gone and in its place was the feeling of total and absolute loneliness. The only one she could be angry with now was herself.

Why can't I ever do anything right?

NOTES:

Hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter! There was a lot that happened and a lot to take in. This one doesn't cast Cassandra in a good light and makes her very unlikeable, but that's the point. Between this world and her own, the patterns were there and she now realizes that she has a problem.

We can see that she doesn't feel good about what she did to Daniela. In the coming chapters, we will witness the fallout surrounding that incident as Castle Dimitrescu's final days come to a close. In the meantime, this is a chance for some healing to begin as we finally see a crack in her walls and see that she is hurting inside. The next chapter will certainly be one to look forward to and I am confident you will all enjoy it.

I really want to explore Cassandra in this story and beneath all those insects and bloodlust is a person with their own wants, traits, and fears. She still has a long way to go and as these chapters mount up, many things are going to happen that will challenge who and what she is.

If you've made it this far, I want to thank you for giving this story a chance. I'm beyond excited to create it and to see others enjoying it as much as they do is just the best feeling. There is so much more that is going to happen and I invite you all to be there as it does. I'm going to see this story to completion, but the journey is nothing without you.

The next chapter will release in a week on the 26th. Follow this story on Archive of Our Own to see the newest piece of artwork created for this chapter.

As always, leave a comment and let me know what you think, want to see, or thought could be better. I'd love to hear from all of you. Leave a kudos if you haven't and want to let me know you're out there. Until next time, I hope you all stay safe and have a great week! See you around!