Borne of Curses & Blessings

Chapter Two

A forceful knock erupts against my office door before its thrown open and slammed.
"Emma! Are you ok--"
Emma throws a confidential file onto my desk.
"Open it."
"Emma, wha--?"
"I said OPEN IT!"
I flip the folder open and am faced with crude photos of corpses, seemingly intact with piles of ash beside them.
"What am I looking at?"
"Whale said it didn't make sense, that he'd only ever seen this M.O. once before...."
"Emma, honestly I have no clue what you're talking about."
"Someone well versed in dark magic has ripped out these people's hearts and crushed them to dust. Care to explain how that's possible?"
"Emma, it isn't me... that's not who I am anymore!"
"Regina, who could be doing this?! Who could be trying to frame you?"
"Emma, please believe me... I have no idea who could possibly do something like this but it isn't me. I promise! You know I've been going to Archie for a few months now to work on my addiction to dark magic."
"So?"
"So? Why would I risk it all? Henry? Your parents? Y-You? You're the only ones to ever believe in me, that I'm not actually evil but..."
She seems to be studying me with her superpower.
"I believe you... but, who else is capable?"
"Essentially anyone. But, as I said earlier, magic is unstable. Especially in this realm, as we saw with Henry."
"Regina, I need your help."
"I hate to say it but the Blue Fairy may be able to help me narrow the possibilities...."
"Gina, look... I'm sorry. I'm just not quite used to this magic stuff. I..- it still kinda scares me."
"It's okay, Emma. I-I understand."
"Hey, no... it isn't. I shouldn't have come in here yelling at you like I have no sense and zero class. I'm sorry."
"I accept your apology, Emma. But it isn't necessary."
"Look, how about we go and see what Blue can tell us." My voice wavers slightly.
"I-- Yeah, okay."
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We've been walking deep into the woods for about 45 minutes following Blue's locator spell. Suddenly she stops...
"Why have we stopped?" Snow asks, "we can't  possibly be where the source of the deaths occurred, we're nowhere near the river."
"Perhaps we can be..." Blue states flatly before pulling her wand on us, casting splintering hexes.
"Blue!!! What the hell is wrong with you?!" I scream as I dodge a crackling, magical blast from the fairy wand, I hear the blast make impact with a tree behind us and I feel pieces hit my back as the wood splinters from the power. My heart pounds in my ears as I nearly dodge another forceful blast. I duck behind the well next to Snow and Regina, David peeks around his hiding place to check our status. The magic crackles at the tip of the wand and Snow shivers.
"That isn't Blue, Emma...." Snow growls, "I know that particular curse anywhere."
"No..." Regina whimpers, I can see her visibly shiver.
"Mom, what are you--" Emma begins.
"Still not fond of keeping secrets, I see..." the doppelganger chuckles darkly.
"Cora..." Snow sneers through gritted teeth, Regina gasps softly. Blue begins to laugh before being consumed in a plume of black smoke revealing Cora's true form.
"Cora?" I repeat almost dimly. Who the hell is she?!
"M-Mother?! Wha- how?!" Regina looks as though she feels faint, suffocated, "I sent y-you..."
"Through the Looking Glass? Darling, please... I'm the Queen of Hearts."
"Wait... your Mother?!" What the hell?! I thought her mother was dead...?
Regina steps back suddenly and she looks like a lifetime is running through her mind as her lip begins to quiver. She ghosts her fingertips against her upper lip and her breathing becomes more and more shallow.
"I-It can't be..." I whisper softly.