Chapter 22

S ister ? Noella Fairchild, her fairy godmother, was Malvina’s sister?

Ella sucked in a sharp breath as she looked from Noella to Malvina. Ingrid halted her sprint and instead moved to stand next to Ella. She wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders, pulling her close. Nicholas stood in front of them both like a shield.

Noella’s silvery hair hung in loose waves down her back. Instead of her normal festive gowns, she wore trousers, boots, a thick tunic and a cloak fastened at her neck with a star pin. She held her wand in her hand, the point of it lit brightly in white light.

“Get out of my way, Noella.” She held her hands ready to release more dark magic.

“I will not,” she said, defiant. She lifted her chin. “Nor will the throne be relinquished to you.”

Malvina growled with her frustration. “You stole those slippers from me. I want them back.”

“You and I both know you have nothing but ill intentions for those slippers. And besides,” she paused, gave Ella a quick glance, “they’re with their rightful owner now.”

“The girl is nothing and doesn’t deserve them!”

“Oh, she’s not nothing and she does deserve them,” Noella countered.

A warmth spread through Ella’s chest at her fairy godmother’s words. For the first time in a long while, she was finally worthy to someone.

In Malvina’s anger, she threw another ball of dark magic toward Noella. She countered it with her white magic, using her wand to turn it into nothing but harmless snowflakes. She spun back to face Nicholas, shooing him toward the exit.

“Go. Your pirate captain and Gustav are waiting for you at the gates.”

Nicholas opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Noella shooed him away. She spun back around to face Malvina who was still intent on attacking.

So intent, in fact, she turned herself into a crow. She dive-bombed Ella, crashing into her back and pecking the back of her head. Ella cried out, flailing her arms to try to get Malvina away from her. Behind her, Ingrid screamed—the first sound she’d made since leaving the cell.

“Do something!” Nicholas shouted to Noella.

A flash of light and then the crow made a strangled sound and flapped higher up toward the ceiling. Nicholas caught Ella in his arms, pulling her close and holding her.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded. Sweat trickled down the side of her face and her cheeks were damp with tears. She reached up and touched the back of her head, probing the place Malvina pecked with a gentle touch.

“I’m fine,” she croaked.

Noella wasn’t finished with Malvina, though. She charged past them and followed as the bird flapped its way back inside the bedchamber, cawing at the top of her lungs the entire time.

“Run!” Noella ordered.

“But—” Nicholas started.

“Now!”

The door to the chamber slammed shut, sealing them both inside. Nicholas took Ella’s hand and started down the corridor. Ingrid was already halfway down it, her boots thumping on the stone floor and the too-large cloak flapping behind her.

“Will she be all right?” Ella asked.

“I hope so,” he replied.

Behind them, purple and white light illuminated around the door. Sounds of an altercation wafted through it. A crash and then a pounding followed by something thumping against the door. Ella hoped her fairy godmother would make it out alive.

“I’ve just about had enough of you,” Noella said.

She clutched her wand, hesr palm sweating, as she watched the bird flap around the room. She shot a bit of magic toward her and missed.

Malvina returned to her true form, the purple smoke billowing around her in a cloud.

“And I’ve had enough of you ,” Malvina said. “You’ve taken everything from me once again.”

“I’m not the one who used dark magic and got herself banished.” It was a cheap shot, Noella knew, but it served the purpose.

Malvina’s face pinched with fury. “I’m not the one who sucked up to father all those years. You’re not so innocent yourself.”

She threw a bomb of magic at her. Noella ducked behind a chair.

“I’m not the one who used the Dark Mirror.” Noelle fired back with her own white magic. The punch of power hit the hourglass, destroying it.

“And I’m not the one who stole the glass slippers out from under someone else!” Malvina attacked again. The cushion on the chair exploded in a puff of stuffing.

Noella moved out from behind it, looking for another place of refuge. She spotted the tapestry on the wall and knew it hid the Dark Mirror. Destroying that would be in vengeance for Malvina destroying the Christmas Star. She tossed a bit of magic at Malvina, hitting her in the shoulder long enough to distract her, then hurried over to the tapestry. She shoved it aside.

The mirror came alive with its fogginess followed by the strange magical face.

“Yes, my queen—who are you?” it said.

“Step away from that!” Malvina shouted.

Noella cut her a glance over her shoulder and took two steps back. “As you wish.”

Then she pointed her wand at the mirror and sent a bright beam of light right into its center. It shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving nothing behind but the ornate gold frame.

“NO!” Then she growled, a sound deep in her throat. “You will pay for that !”

“That’s for the Christmas Star,” Noella said, a smugness overtaking her. “And to stop you from seeing into our lives.”

“Those slippers belong to me !” Malvina whined.

“They don’t. They’re with their rightful owner now. Ella earned them. Ella will keep them.”

“I will destroy you,” Malvina said.

“You can try.” Noella clutched her wand at her side and despite her fear, her voice remained calm. “Your dark magic is no match for mine, for I have the Light of Christmas and carry its Spirit with me wherever I go.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Spreading good will and cheer.” Malvina spit on the cold stone floor. “While I rot in here in my fortress.”

“A fortress of your own making,” Noella countered. “Farewell, sister. Perhaps we will meet again under better circumstances.”

Noella placed a bubble of protection around her as she walked toward the door. But she knew Malvina wasn’t finished yet. She sensed her attack before it even happened and spun to face her, using her wand to punch her sister in the middle of the chest. Malvina flew backward, landing on the stone floor and sliding several feet before coming to a halt. Noella paused, waiting to see if she would rise again. She didn’t.

She walked to her, knelt, and placed two fingers on the side of her neck. There was a faint pulse. She would live.

Noella rose to her full height, a pang of sorrow for her sister going through her. She hated that she would be here, alone, for the rest of her days, but then, Malvina brought that all upon herself. Her last act would be to place a spell over the fortress, so her sister couldn’t hurt anyone again.

But now, she had to make sure Ella, Nicholas, and the young Ingrid made it out of the fortress to safety. She hurried to the door, passing by the shards of mirror and noticed they had dimmed from shimmering and bright to dull and dark. The magic inside the mirror was destroyed. She knew her sister had the mirror, knew she used it to spy on her, knew she used it to plan her way to claim the throne of Rovenheim for herself. Now, with the mirror gone, Noella would finally have peace of mind.

She stepped over the glass and into the hall, leaving her sister behind once and for all.