"Your mother?!" Danika exclaims.
The shifter springs up from her seat, rattling the chair and setting its legs squeaking along the wood floor. Seated next to her, Caiden's eyes have widened slightly, eyebrows raised; a minor reaction compared to everyone else, including Anna – mouth agape and eyes so wide they could see the white.
Standing at the head of the table, Elsa cringes as she looks to Michael. He seems unbothered, hands tucked into his pockets, but still Elsa can see the ripple of shadow through his eyes.
He had told her everything in his room, and he seemed so relieved once the words were out. Elsa herself nearly tumbled from his arms in shock had he not secured his grip on her.
Not fear, never fear. And certainly not anger.
And once he explained what his mother had told him, her heart only broke for him.
Gods, he stabbed his own mother to escape and to save her. How could she even be mad? And she said as much when hesitation seemed to drag him to sit on the edge of the bed.
As that same weight seems to begin pressing on his shoulders, Elsa doesn't hesitate to loop her hand through his arm, placing it atop his wrist. Her other hand relaxes around his bicep, uncaring of everyone's eyes. Despite the circumstances, her own heart bounces at the freedom she now has with Michael. No more having to hide her feelings, no more having to be shy with her touches.
Although, when coming down for breakfast, Elsa felt a little self-conscious around Danika and Caiden. Despite the bath she and Michael shared, the smell of her arousal is probably more barreling than the ringing of the Yule Bell for the two.
Especially when both the soldiers walked in, flared their nostrils, and Danika winked at Elsa with a waggle of her brows, while Caiden arced a brow with narrowed eyes at Michael.
She's relieved to see them relatively unharmed; relieved to see the shifter having returned to her former, merry self. She had been concerned for Danika – the way her skin seemed paler, her tattoos stark; her citrine eyes seemingly guttered with exhausted fear . . . Elsa only spared a gentle brush on her shoulder, and it felt like it took ages for Danika to pull her stare to the queen.
They only shared a flicker of understanding before Caiden swept in and escorted the shifter up to her room. Elsa watched them as he guided her up the steps – one hand on the small of Danika's back, the other secured around her shoulder.
As she stared at them, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something shared between the two; something deeper beneath their comradery the way Caiden's lips remained inches from Danika's ear, no doubt whispering soft promises and sweet nothings; the way he held her close – the closest she's seen between them.
Caiden himself seems to have healed tremendously since the battle with that, creature. Which they still have to discuss, also. But were it not for the small bandages speckled across his arms and shoulders – likely more hidden beneath that pine-green tunic – Elsa never would've guessed he had been injured. A perk perhaps of having immortal blood.
Gods, how old even is he?
But now's not the time for that.
"You mean to tell me that the woman who invaded my mind and is making their lives a living hell, is the same woman who gave birth to you?!" Danika continues.
"Not exactly how I would put it, but yes. She claimed she was possessed, whatever's inside her seeming to be responsible for everything that's happened." Michael says, barely acknowledging Elsa's touch. He leans forward, placing his palms on the table as if a at a war council. Danika sits back down, snatching up her fork to stab at a blueberry muffin.
"And you're absolutely sure about this?" Caiden asks, his face a cold mask of indifference now.
"I saw the vision."
"But how do you know it wasn't a trick to gain your trust?
Michael hangs his head, mumbling, "I don't. I just, have a feeling."
"A feeling." Caiden state flatly.
"I never said there weren't loose ends." Michael immediately defends. "I'm fully aware of the possibility that it was all a lie, a clever rouse. But . . . the things I saw in that cabin, the amount of detail that went into that, illusion . . . No one else would notice those things." He pushes off the table, splaying his arms wide. "And maybe she did invade my mind without me realizing it, but . . . there's just something, bone deep that is telling me she was telling the truth."
Anna shyly raises her hand. "How can someone enter your mind without knowing? Didn't you say you felt like these, talons on your mind?"
"I did, but those with abilities such as hers –"
"Abilities that are only found amongst denizens of Dark Magic," Danika interjects, shooting Caiden a glare.
"– their power can vary from simply slipping into someone's mind, with or without wanting to, to shattering someone's mind, effectively driving them crazy or leaving them in a catatonic state. Or they can make people their unwilling slaves, making them do whatever they want, and the person would never know it. It all depends on their training, or experience, I guess."
"And you did say that she is possessed?" Danika asks, breaking a small loaf of bread in half.
"That was her claim, and with the things she showed me, I'm having a hard time denying it. I mean" – he slips into the next available seat, leaving Elsa to sit at the head of the table – "the details in the terrain, I knew that place like the back of my hand, and everything matched. Near perfectly."
"What kind of, creature, can do that?" asks Kristoff.
"Rare ones," answers Caiden as he slices into a sausage. "They are a breed of demons that are able to read, influence, and even shatter someone's mind as said, depending on their training and power. They are very rare, so the ones that have it are feared. There are enough scattered throughout the world that many – mostly those in positions of influence – extensively train against their skill set."
Elsa folds her fingers, fiddling with her thumbs as she says to the shadow weaver, "You told me that there are different kinds of darkness, Caiden. But what would you make of hers?"
A shrug of his broad shoulders. "I cannot say. At its root, it all correlates with the fittings of a possession," he dips his chin towards Michael, who still hasn't even made a plate. "with a little extra power thrown in."
Danika snorts, though her lips have turned into a snarl. "I'd love to see what she drags from your mind. Maybe it'll too despicable even for her." She grumbles.
"I'm not taking away from your experience, Danika, nor yours." He says as he looks to Michael. "I'm just trying to bring awareness to the possibility that she's not as powerful as we'd think. I've been around this stuff for years. You haven't. Regardless of breed, a demon will do anything and everything to try and break you, through mind, body, and spirit. And that's after they've lured you in, get you to lower your guard."
"How do you mean?" Elsa asks, standing to make Michael and herself a plate.
Instead, Danika answers. "There are many cases involving demons that have the same foundation of portraying themselves as something innocent; something completely opposite to who they are. Most commonly a young child. Many times they will portray themselves a little child as means to lure people in, and once they have you, they change like that."
Her fingers snap loudly, echoing throughout the spacious dining room.
"Children themselves are more susceptible to possessions, as they are more open to the world." Caiden adds, Elsa reaching between him and Danika for a muffin. "Women as well, given they have a stronger emotional tendency, but both go through the same process when being targeted by a demon."
As she finishes her way around the table, Elsa places her hand on Michael's shoulder as she sets the plate before him. He spares her a nod of thanks, and Elsa starts to make her own plate.
Caiden furthers, "They will always target those who are vulnerable in the mind. Which brings us back to those who are in positions of power usually train against such attacks and influence. They will try to break you down, crush your will. And once you're in a weakened state, you're open to possession. And the root of all their "tactics" if you will, is fear. They feed off of it, and in your mother's case, having watched her husband get butchered and her son lost, she immediately became open and vulnerable. It's the same as you when your first met her at the temple, and even again in the town's square."
As Michael stabs his fork into a breakfast sausage, Elsa places her hand over his, over the scar that drags from his knuckle to his wrist.
"She speared her way past your defenses – if you had any – and crippled you with the memories of your past. But rather than shatter your mind, or have you possessed, here you are."
"Further proving your assumption that she wants something from you." Danika says.
"So what's our next move?" Anna asks.
Elsa pokes at an egg while Michael pours himself a cup of tea. He takes a few sips before answering, "We know it's me she's after, but we still don't have a clear reason as to why."
"Well, it has to be related to your magic. That much seems obvious." Danika says through a mouthful of blueberry muffin. "Whether it be because it poses a threat, or because she wants to harness it in some way."
"She had said my magic was different than most. Something more powerful than anything ever encountered. But, before she could tell me further, that's when I heard my father's voice; telling me to get out. And that's when she sent those demons out to attack you." he nods his chin in Elsa's direction.
"While I would like to strongly recommend, we stay away from her, she is the only one who can fill us in with answers."
"Yeah," Michael snorts, "well good luck trying to find that out. I think my stabbing her heart with my dagger really shot that horse in the face. She's never going to let me near her again."
"Maybe. Or maybe it'll prompt her to strike or make a move. That's the key."
Caiden shakes his head as he finishes his plate. "Always full of silver linings, Danika. But she does have a point. After what happened, it's better we stay at the castle. Let her show her hand. She'll either want to lure you away from the castle, or she'll attack you here. Either way, she needs you more than we need her."
Michael's eyes flick up towards Caiden. "You sure about that?"
"I've studied magic for years now. I know plenty of ins and outs. I'm sure I can come up with something. At least, if her whole talk of your magic being different holds any water. If not, best thing we can do is train it."
A stiff nod of agreement. "You're probably right."
Elsa tucks a few strands of his hair behind his hear. At the clinking of silverware, she looks and finds Caiden having finished, and now his eyes are assessing Michael. Her spine tingles as the shadow weaver asks, "Is there something else you want to talk about?"
Michael's eyes remain on his cup, staring at the steam wafting from within it. Then his hand overlaps Elsa's, and his thumb brushes along her knuckles. "Would there be a way to . . . cleanse, my mother of this alleged possession?"
A moment of silence.
Even Danika pauses with her fork midair as her eyes flick to Caiden.
The shadow weaver leans back in his seat, twirling a butter knife between his fingers as he crosses his legs beneath the table. A king without a throne. "Perhaps." He starts. "But if she's really been harboring this entity for all these years, I'm afraid it might be near impossible to sever their ties without risking the other."
"Risk?" Elsa whispers.
"Though some demons can be powerful in their own right, none of them can really do anything without the use of an anchor. In some cases it's a human vessel, other times it's a certain object – like runes or gems that can hold their power. In the case of possession, some hosts can be cleansed – the demon seemingly nothing more than a parasite. But for possessions that have been drawn out for years, such as your mother, it's like their souls intertwine when sharing the same host. With that said, by severing her ties to whatever entity she shares her vessel with, we run the risk of severing her life force."
Michael's fingers tap the sides of his teacup. "But there is a chance."
Caiden seems to read the unspoken question in Michael's eyes, and something firm and cold wafts swirls beneath his crimson stare. "It's a very small one. And even then, it has an ultimate risk. I would heavily advise against it."
When Michael straightens in his seat, his next few words make Elsa glad she's not on the receiving end of it. As does Danika – if her shifting in her seat is any indication.
"I can't just turn my back on her. Not again." He mutters, his voice so low and guttural it nearly sounds like a growl.
Caiden's eyes narrow, and the tension becomes so palpable Elsa can feel herself suffocating. "That is if she's even real. It could be something else posing as your mother to get to you. Or perhaps it is your mother's body, but something else in control. Bottom line, you prove to be more powerful than her. It leads me to wonder . . . as does her sudden appearance. I find it just a little too –"
"She said she's been looking for me for years."
"As have your other enemies who went to great lengths to destroy you. You mean to tell me you don't find her appearance even the slights bit suspicious?"
Michael fists his hands on the table. "Forgive if I've been short sighted recently."
"Not like it's surprising."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"This woman is the very threat to Elsa and Anna's lives, and yet one startling revelation – and possible lie – suddenly has your forgiving all of it? Or should I show you the damage done to the library?"
Elsa herself had seen the damage done to the hall and the library itself. The gaping whole in the wall with its splintered wood and shattered glass was enough for Elsa to never want to even think about questioning Caiden. It still boggles her mind that he's even sitting here with full body motion.
"I'm not saying there aren't loose ends. And I never said I forgave her – if stabbing my own mother in the heart was any indication." Michael growls. The bone deep aggravation has Elsa's skin rippling with goose bumps. "But she's been through a lot – just as I have. Just as we all have. Why can't you be more understanding?"
"Because I don't know anything about her." Caiden snaps, standing up from his seat. The legs of the chair squeak against the sudden movement. "She claims to know everything about you, having watched over you your whole life. And yet now is the time she decides to strike? When you've fully matured?"
"I promise you, I'm aware of the situation."
"Are you? Because it seems like all of these things were simply dropped once she declared herself as your mother. Remember she's still dangerous, Michael. She's still a threat to Elsa."
Michael rises to stand, Elsa wrapping her fingers around his. She whispers a small flicker of her magic through their bond, whispering at the raging, burning heart within.
This doesn't go unnoticed by the shadow weaver, because when he next blinks, that roiling rage that sometimes seems to mirror Michael's, suddenly dulls.
"I know you, Michael." He places his palms flat on the table. "I know that little boy inside you is jubilant, perhaps even relieved. But I need you to keep your focus on the bigger picture. She's threatening the woman you love; she's the one who first awoke your magic in a such a catastrophic way; who just last night, made another attempt on Elsa's life."
"Which is why we agreed we could stay together until she makes her own move."
Michael shakes his head and lets it hang as he places his knuckles on the table. He takes a few deep breaths, Elsa taking her own when she feels that flame kiss her ice; a delicate tug through their bond that almost feels like he pulled on a rib from within.
There's a slight tremor as he shakes his head, a much deeper one in his voice when he speaks, "She may be the only family I have left."
Those words seem to shatter whatever rigidness gripping Caiden, because when he next blinks, his shoulders relax. Danika, too, lowers her head as she pokes around at some crumbs with her fork.
"I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. At least for the time being."
A tense silence between the two. And yet . . . understanding.
Caiden gives a deep exhale before simply saying, "Fine."
Without another word, he takes his leave. His boots the only sound in the dining room.
After a few seconds, Danika rises from her seat. "Well, I would say it's time for a training session. I've yet to have one with Michael after years of missing him, and I would like to see just how much he's been keeping up with his skills."
This draws a chuckle from Michael, the corners of his mouth curving upward. "I can guarantee I've been doing a lot more than you. I will destroy you."
Danika simply smiles as she saunters out of the dining room with that swing in her hips. "Meet me out in the courtyard and we will see. You two come along too!" She says as she points a finger at the sisters. "It's time we also see how much time Michael's been dedicating to you girls."
"What about Caiden?" Anna asks as she stands.
Danika gives a simple wave of her hand, as if the two didn't just have a tense conversation. "Oh, don't worry. I'll get him to join. Even if he won't come for me, not like he can say not to your two."
With a wink and a gleaming smile, she breezes out of the dining room. The many colors of her pastel hair rippling in the morning light.
Suddenly the friendship between the trio becomes a little more understandable.