Chapter 38

S now spun as the blade came down. She squeezed her eyes shut and put up her hands as if that would ward off the attack. The sharp pain sliced through one of her upturned palms. Blood welled at the shallow wound. A high-pitched screech rent the air followed by a thud on the stone flooring.

Dropping her arms to her side, she saw Seraphina sprawled out on the floor. Roderick climbed back to his feet as he stood over the queen, wobbly. Sweat dotted his forehead and trickled down the side of his face. His tunic was damp from it as well. His face was ashen.

"Roderick?"

"Destroy it, Snow," he said on a pant. "Before it's too late."

His legs gave out and he crashed to the ground in a heap. Snow hurried over to him, pushing him to his back. The blood from her palm smeared across his tunic. He was unconscious. Seraphina cackled her glee.

"The sleeping curse has finally taken hold. There is no one to save you now, dear girl."

Snow glanced up at Seraphina with all the rage burning through her. The enchanted blade was still on the stone floor past Seraphina. When she got to her feet, she failed to pick it up. Snow slowly pushed to her feet.

"I don't need saving," Snow said, her voice low and dangerous.

As fast as she was able, she dove for the enchanted blade. Seraphina realized too late what she was doing. Her hand landed on the hilt as the evil queen snatched her by the hair and jerked her upward. But Snow had the blade in her hand.

The queen pulled her head back, making her look up at her rage. Snow swiped the blade upward, her position awkward and uncomfortable, but she managed to put the sharp edge against the queen's throat.

"Release me," she demanded. "Give me the antidote to the sleeping curse."

"You think I'm afraid of a little dagger?"

She disappeared in a poof of smoke causing Snow to fall backward. She managed to catch herself with her free hand before she landed hard against the stone floor. She rolled to her side and got to her feet, still clutching the dagger in one hand. Seraphina stood in the doorway of the balcony, the breeze fluttering her gown and hair making her appear more menacing than she actually was.

They stared each other down for what felt like an eternity.

"You can't beat me," the queen said, swimming in her smugness.

With a wave of her hand, she conjured more magic to hurl at her. An illusion of a snake slithering toward Snow, hissing.

Snow almost laughed. She wasn't afraid of any creature, snakes or otherwise. She dropped to her knees, placing her hand on the cold stone floor. She used her nature power to call to it, to touch her mind to it, and to tell it she meant it no harm. The queen, however, intended to use it as a weapon.

The slithering voice inside her head hissed its irritation and turned on the queen. It slinked back toward her, hissing and uncoiling it's long, sleek body. Seraphina backed onto the balcony.

"You wench!" she shouted.

Snow stood. While the queen was occupied, she glanced around the chamber for something to use as a weapon to shatter the mirror. She hurried over to the bureau with all the glittering vials and decanters and wondered if one of them was the antidote to the poison that had put Roderick into a sleeping curse.

"Get away from there," the queen said, panic evident in her voice.

Remembering she had magic, the queen destroyed the snake with one swipe of her hand and then charged Snow. As she did, something crashed against the side of the castle making the walls tremble with a violent shudder.

It caught both of them off guard and they paused, staring at each other. The queen ran to the balcony. A frustrated shriek escaped her. She spun back to Snow, her face pinched with fury.

"You did this." Accusation laced her tone.

Snow had no idea what she was talking about. She was about to ask when something struck the side of the castle again, making the walls quake. Seraphina yelped her annoyance. She spun back to the balcony and stepped onto it. Whatever magic she used, made her glow into a bright white ball of flame.

Now was her chance. While she was occupied, Snow went back to searching for something with which to smash the mirror. Then she spied a brass candleholder. She snatched it, tossing the unlit candle the ground and hurrying back to the mirror. She clutched the enchanted blade in her hand slick with blood and sweat, and the brass candleholder in the other. She peered up at the distorted face with apprehension but knew it was what she had to do.

She swung the candleholder at the mirror. It connected with a crash but did nothing to damage it. Seraphina, however, emitted a high-pitched scream as though she were injured.

"What are you doing?" the mirror asked, panic lacing its tone.

Something smashed against the castle walls again. Snow assumed they were under some sort of attack. But who would be attacking the castle and why?

She didn't have time to puzzle it out as she smashed the candleholder against the mirror once again. Tiny cracks were evident in the glass.

"Stop!" the mirror shouted.

Snow hit it again. This time, an audible crack. Seraphina stumbled into the chamber from the balcony, her eyes wide with alarm.

Snow hit the mirror once more, this time with the base of the candleholder so it would do more damage. More splintering from the center. Another cry from Seraphina.

"Help! Help, my queen!" the mirror shouted.

She had to get it to stop talking.

A wild scream from the queen and the next thing she knew, Snow was grabbed from behind and dragged from the alcove with the mirror. Seraphina had her arm around her and then spun and shoved her to the ground. Snow landed hard, banging her elbow on the stone. Both the candleholder and the dagger flew from her hands and skittered across the floor.

Before she was able to right herself, Seraphina snatched her by the hair once again and dragged her to her feet.

Gripping her hard, she hauled her out to the balcony, shoving her against the railing.

"Look at them!" the queen shouted. "This is your doing."

Snow was shocked to see the lines of soldiers in the courtyard with not only a battering ram, but a trebuchet that continuously launched large boulders at the castle. She wasn't sure who the army was or where they came from, but she was grateful. On the edge, she saw a line of men and women, their hands clasped, and they were glowing.

The only thing it could be was elven magic.

She sucked in a sharp breath. How were the elves here?

Seraphina pushed her harder into the railing, shoving her over the edge.

"And you will die here in the same place you were born. How do you like that, princess ?"

The queen grasped her by her tunic and shoved her upward, ready to push her over the railing. Snow saw the ivy climbing the walls of the castle and the edge of the balcony. She flattened her hands on the railing, reaching out with her senses and used her nature magic to call to the plants.

In one last fit of fury, Seraphina shoved Snow over the railing.

As she did, though, Snow called to the ivy. It sprang to life and immediately moved to intercept her, weaving to form a net to keep her from tumbling to her death. Then pushed her upward, helping her to step over the railing and back onto the balcony.

Seraphina gaped.

"It seems, oh wonderous queen, you forgot about the ivy," Snow said as she stepped down onto the balcony. "Now, shall we finish this?"

Another boulder crashed against the castle, as if punctuating her sentence. It bothered her a little they were destroying her castle, but she decided she didn't care much since she could always rebuild once she disposed of the queen.

The queen's momentary shock was replaced with her anger. She held her hands down, cupped them, and fire erupted inside her palms. She flung both fireballs at Snow. She ducked, crouching low on the ground as the fireballs flew over her head. She had to get inside and back to the mirror. It was the only way to remove Seraphina's magic. She hoped the dark wizard was right about that.

Closing her eyes, she lifted her hands, palm up. "Oh, creatures great and small, forest creatures, noble and free, I call upon you to heed the call, to protect where shadows fall."

"What are you doing?" Seraphina shrieked. "Stop! I command you to stop."

All Snow needed was a breath of fresh air to allow nature to recharge her. She sensed the awakening of the land around the castle, of the creatures—big and small, nocturnal and diurnal—coming to life and coming to her aid. The ivy crawled over the balcony railing, creeping along the floor toward the queen.

"I will never stop fighting for myself or my people," Snow said, her voice strong and sure. "Your reign, Seraphina, is over."

The queen stumbled backward trying to get away from the now quickly moving ivy. She wasn't fast enough and the ivy wound around her legs. She tumbled to the ground. Snow watched as the evergreen wrapped around her upper torso, pinning her arms against her sides.

Snow turned to face the onslaught and raised her arms to the sky.

"Cease your siege!" she called. "I am Snow White, crown princess and heir to the throne of the Mystic Vale. And I have come to reclaim my birthright."

All movement on the ground stopped. She peered down, watching as one lone rider moved forward. Several joined him from the glowing circle of elves. The man on the horse glanced their way and then looked up at her. From the distance, she only made out he had a bearded face and wore full plate armor.

"We have come to aid you, princess," he called. "The walls are breached and my men have entered the castle to apprehend the false queen."

Snow gripped the railing, realizing she had left a smear of flood from her still oozing palm. "Who are you, sir?"

"I am King Alfred of the Feywood, your majesty."

Suddenly, a fluttering of wings buzzed her face. She lifted her uninjured hand. Annilen alighted on her palm, collapsing in a heap. Her breath was labored.

"Annilen?"

"Snow…" she panted. "We came to help you. Roderick said…" She paused to catch her breath. "Roderick said you needed our help."

"Roderick?" She glanced back at his still sleeping form on the floor. "You can explain later. Tell the king—"

"And the elves," she interjected. "They helped him get here."

Snow blinked surprise. So many questions fluttered through her mind but there wasn't time to ask them all. "Tell the king to secure the castle while I deal with the queen."

Annilen climbed to her feet again and then dipped a deep courtesy. "By your command, your majesty."

She fluttered away.

Once she was gone, Snow took a deep breath and turned back toward the bedchamber. She had a mirror to destroy.