Snow Bites

Chapter Seven

Eirwen's bedroom was a mess of shattered glass and ruined furniture. Every piece of clothing she'd left behind was torn to shreds. Heldie sat at the center of it all. Her long brown curls were tangled beyond saving. Strands twisted around her neck like a hangman's noose. She'd searched every inch of the room for signs of where the princess could have run off to.

Heldie was learning the silly girl wasn't the fool she'd always taken her for. The pantry had been cleared of dried meat and Ryker had informed her that several of his knives had gone missing. Although she'd never seen Eirwen show any initiative in learning to live on her own, it looked as though she knew what she was doing.

Of all the times she could have chosen to rebel it had to be now. Heldie had hardly had a moment to be relieved that she didn't need to have a long talk with her before the anger at her disobedience sunk in. Nothing had been able to penetrate the fog of anger that surrounded her until she'd exhausted herself.

Angry red scratches streamed down her face from the times she'd viciously shoved her hair out of her eyes. Her chest heaved with strained breaths. The light was nearly gone outside now. Heldie pushed herself to her feet and nearly fell back to the floor immediately. They'd gone numb while she knelt amongst the destruction.

The halls were dark as well, but a small surge of magic lit the sconces on the path to her spell room.The mirror sprung to life as soon as she entered, responding to her magic. She stormed up to the glossy purple surface and slammed her palms against it. Sparks of red shot out from her reflection within the mirror. The entire surface seemed to ripple under her hands.

"What do you seek, my queen?" the mirror's voice asked her.

"Find the girl, now," she demanded.

Images of tree tops flashed over the mirror at dizzying speeds. Sometimes they would slow to a near stop on one location before racing off again. Time after time the mirror changed its focus. Slowly it went dark.

Heldie shook the frame and glared at the blank surface. "Well? Where is she?" she screamed.

"She is beyond your reach, your grace," it answered.

Her heart clenched and she stumbled back. "She can't be. Tell me, what happened to her? Does she live?"

"The princess lives, though she is blocked from my sight," the mirror said slowly. "Some magic keeps her shrouded in a fog. I can see where she has been but not where she is or where she will go. A strong magic surrounds her."

Heldie's breath caught in her throat. Magic. Was it possible other hunters had found her and taken her? It couldn't be, they wouldn't just keep her to hide her. Besides, the mirror would have been able to see through their magic. It had always been able to see through hers.

The only other magic would be Eirwen's, which could only be active if she'd turned. "I have failed her," Heldie whispered to herself. Her hold on the mirror's magic slipped and it went dark, leaving her alone in the room. Thoughts of a younger Eirwen's gap toothed smile filled her mind. The way her tiny hand had clung to hers on their walks.

She stifled a sob. There was nothing she could do to fix it now. The way forward was crystal clear and the choice had been made for her. She wouldn't allow Eirwen to become a monster, nor to be taken by people like her.

"I will find her myself if I have to," she vowed. Except she wasn't alone.

The door swung open and Ryker looked at her clutching herself as if it would hold her together. He must have seen something in her eyes because he immediately began shaking his head. "I found no trace of her. It's as if she's swept her existence from the earth itself." Dirt covered his clothes along with scratches from desperately pushing branches aside. Dark circles kept his eyes half in shadow.

Heldie nodded and slowly began making herself more presentable. "She could be anywhere by now. The girl has allowed her dark side to awaken and is using her magic to hide herself away from me."

Ryker held back a sigh. "How can you be sure she's turned, Heldie? Eirwen wouldn't even know to hunt someone for their blood, let alone how to use magic," he reasoned.

"There are some things that don't need to be taught. I must stop her before she gains true control over the darkness like her mother," Heldie told him. Around the room were more weapons that she had spent years enchanting. None were a match for the dagger tucked away. That had been made by a master especially for her.

The silver crossbow bolts she picked up were flawed but they would still wound a blutsauger enough to finish it off. Heldie handed them to Ryker along with a bottle of shining white liquid. "The bolts will injure her the way they would any human. If you find her, you must incapacitate her and bring her back. The weihwasser will render her powerless."

Ryker held the bolts in trembling hands. "You can't ask me to do this, Heldie. I won't harm that little girl." Further arguments were cut off when a wave of magic slammed him back against the wall. He crumpled to the floor holding the shoulder that had hit the stone first.

"She is no longer the little girl you remember so fondly. Do not allow your memories to distract you from the danger. If she is left unchecked, hundreds may die at her hands," Heldie said slowly. "This is the only way now."