Snow's Lament (5 page)

Such a senseless loss of life. I wondered if Simeon even knew Naomi was after him. It would be hard not to notice the sun disappearing over the land due to her influence, and gossip spread faster than wildfire. Considering he couldn’t realm travel without the gem, I wagered Simeon was aware of who was on his tail.

So, why didn’t he do a better job of hiding?

There was nothing we could do for these two right now. Perhaps later we could ask for Maleficent’s help with the clean up, but for now, we needed to see what happened to the chronicler. I stepped out the door, my Sig at the ready and my eyes open for anything suspicious. Everything was suspicious right now, but I was ready to shoot first and ask questions later if I saw anything moving.

And so our grim task continued. We went hut to hut, hoping against hope for some signs of life, and were crushed when we came upon the same scene over and over. Everyone in the village had been systematically slaughtered, and so far, there was no sign of Simeon. On the last house, I glanced at Belle, who was looking more and more queasy now.

“You okay?”

She swallowed hard. “This the last house?” She gestured at the smallest hut in the village. From the outside, it looked homey and welcoming. God only knew what we would find inside.

I nodded. If we couldn’t find anything in here, we were not only stuck here until we found Maleficent, we were back at square one. I pushed open the door, my weapon at the ready. This time, the smell of death didn’t greet us, but the smell of fear did.

The air here was oppressive and humid, and the hut itself was torn apart. The bed and small hay mattress were spread across the area. Lamps lay shattered on the floor. But the most important thing was huddled in the corner, staring out at us from terrified gray eyes.

I holstered my weapon, held my hands up, and slowly walked toward Simeon.

“Simeon?”

He blinked and tightened even further around himself.

“Snow,” Robin cautioned.

I held my hand up to silence him and continued to Simeon, my footsteps slow and steady. I couldn’t even imagine the things he’d seen today, so I didn’t want to spook him. When I was within about a foot of him, I crouched low.

“Hi, Simeon. Long time no see.”

Simeon was never a large man, but today, he seemed so much smaller. His normally olive skin was at least two shades paler than I remembered and his eyes were red-rimmed from tears of terror I didn’t yet know.

“You’re—” he licked his lips. “You’re here for the gem, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “Actually we’re here for you, too. I see you have quite an enemy on your tail.”

His face crumpled. “She killed everyone.”

I touched his arm. “I know. Simeon, listen. Do you know where she is now?”

“Snow,” Robin stepped up to me and crouched down.

“Not now,” I snapped and turned to glare at him. Anger flashed across his face and his lips thinned.

Simeon shook his head. “I hid. She tore through the village, killing indiscriminately, and when she couldn’t find me, she left.”

I searched his face for any hint of untruth, but the only expression was stark fear. It wasn’t like Naomi to give up so easily, though, and now that I was sitting so close, there was something slightly…off about him I couldn’t put my finger on.

“She kept screaming about finding me and the gem. She was enraged and the screams…” he trailed off, his hands shaking. His gaze met mine and he reached toward my neck. I startled and leaned back only to notice blood all over his hands.

Before I could pull away, he reached across and yanked the gem off my neck. Red smoke filled the room, obscuring our vision. I scrambled to my feet.

“No matter how much you grow up, Snow, your tender heart will always get you,” the thing that was not Simeon said.

I pulled my Sig out, but kept the nose pointed down. I couldn’t see a thing and didn’t want to risk hitting Robin or Belle.

A second later, the smoke cleared and Naomi stood in front of us, the gem dangling between her fingertips. She was just as beautiful and just as cold as I remembered. Waist-length hair fell in a sheet of crimson down past her hips and today she was dressed more casual than I’d ever seen her. The blood covering her sort of ruined her casual upper crust vibe, though.

“Clever trick with the gem last time, thief.”

Robin gave a little bow. “I do so try to be clever,” he quipped.

Her lips twisted. “I’ll kill you last because I find you slightly entertaining.”

My eyes swept the room. Belle was nowhere to be found. Hopefully she was about to go psycho ninja on Naomi. The alternative was too much to think about.

Naomi blinked as she quickly glanced around the room. “Where’s your pretty little friend?”

I shrugged. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

She smiled. “I’m not worried about the technomancer. Her power is useless here.”

That wasn’t exactly true, so I stayed quiet. Naomi didn’t seem to know about natural electricity and I wasn’t about to clue her in.

“Then, it doesn’t matter where she is.” I holstered my weapon, ignoring Robin’s hiss of dismay. Right now, she had the upper hand and I wanted to try to get out of here with at least my life. “Where’s Simeon?” I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer.

She gave me a crimson smile and pulled a large vial out of the front of her pants pocket.

“Right here.”

She held the vial up to the dim light streaming into the hut. Maroon liquid swirled and sparkled.

Blood. All that was left of Simeon was his blood.

“Well played,” Robin said.

It was. Dammit. All she needed was his blood. Why would she spare Simeon when she didn’t need him alive? It was one less player and one less hostage to keep track of. My mind spun with the possibilities of what could happen if Naomi escaped with both the gem and his blood. None of them were good. At minimum, the realms would be forced to shut because Naomi would be in control of portal travel. The Enchanted Forest was a hub, providing food and supplies to other realms in exchange for technology and other goods. It was a symbiotic relationship, so I wasn’t sure exactly why she would want to shut everyone down other than just a blatant power grab, other than to keep me out of the Enchanted Forest. If I were banished back to Earth, unable to return, I would be unable to claim my kingdom back. Even so, it was still foolish to close the portals. The last I heard was only one portal to and from each land existed and they were all guarded heavily to prevent overuse or unauthorized travel.

I studied her for a moment, her posture so confident, the gem swinging tantalizingly, taunting me. I needed one or the other. The gem couldn’t be activated without blood, so they were both now of equal importance. I’d rather not carry around a vial of human fluids, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Naomi couldn’t have both.

Where the hell was Belle?

“I guess you win,” I said, not knowing where the hell I was going with this, but knowing I needed to stall her. Bad guys always loved to talk about themselves.

“Did you expect anything less?” Naomi tucked the gem and vial into her pockets.

My shoulders fell. Our time was almost up.

“Guess I did.”

She shifted as she studied me, her hands at her side, but her fingers twitched. Naomi’s tell. She was about to hit us with something nasty.

“We don’t have to do this, you know.”

She gathered a small fireball in the palm of her hand and blew on it. “Do what, dear?”

Freak.
“This.” I motioned to the fireball in her hand. “You have the means and power to go anywhere, be anything. Why do you mean to stay here and wrest my kingdom away?”

Her nose flared in anger and the fireball grew in size. “Your kingdom?” Her gaze met mine. “When your father married me, it became my kingdom. When he died, I was the reigning queen. You were a child.” The words fell from her lips, clipped and short. “You
still
are a child.”

“The laws of my father’s land are clear. You have no right to my crown.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Robin’s hand move to his waist where he kept his daggers.

Here was hoping for a throat shot. Maybe an eyeball shot. I wasn’t one who celebrated unnecessary gore, but I would definitely do a sideline cheer if Naomi was taken out with good aim and a little bit of old fashioned anger. She grinned and waved one hand in Robin’s direction.

The dagger fell from his hand as he was lifted off his feet by his throat. “I’ve been alive for hundreds of years, thief.” She turned to stare at him. “Do not think you can so easily best me.”

During that one second of distraction, Belle let loose a tirade of electrical energy. I still didn’t know where the hell she was. The lit candles in the room flared out into a butterfly shape and blue sparks streamed through the room throughout the various metal pots, pans, and structures littering the place.

“Drop your cell phones!” I heard her scream. I dug into my front pocket, threw it at Naomi’s feet, and then hit the ground. Naomi’s concentration broke, dropping Robin to his feet. He hunched over, coughing, trying to get his breath back.

My cell phone burst into flames. Naomi stepped back and bumped into one of the many copper pots scattered throughout the room.

A fact that my very brilliant, very beautiful best friend took advantage of. I’d do well not to piss her off if I were standing next to anything that could be considered a conductor.

A pained scream filled the room as Belle hit her with a massive electrical charge. Naomi fell to the ground, but not before losing the fireball she’d been holding. I was still on the ground and could only stare in horror as it headed right toward an unaware Robin.

I could do nothing but watch as he took the full force of the magic and fell to his knees.

“You bitch,” I whispered as I scrambled to my feet and rushed over to Naomi, who lay there conscious but injured.

“Step away from her,” a voice said.

Max had arrived.

Of all the ways I imagined I’d be reunited with my errant lover, I never expected it to be right as I was about to commit justifiable homicide. My shoulders slumped and I stopped.

“She deserves to die,” I said as I sucked in all those awful, terrible emotions flowing through me. I turned and faced him for the first time in months.

He held a gun at eye level. “I never said she didn’t.”

“So, let me finish it.”

Max smiled then, his eyes crinkling at the side. “You know I can’t.”

He was right. I did know. “A girl could only hope.”

“That’s my girl.” He waved the gun at the other side of the room. “Over there then.”

I was hopeful he didn’t realize Belle was hanging around here somewhere. I held my hands out in a non-threatening gesture and moved in small steps toward where he pointed.

“And Belle,” he said in a normal tone of voice, “any tricks and I finish lover boy off.” He stepped over to Robin and nudged him with a toe.

From the ashen pallor of his skin and his failure to react, if Robin wasn’t already gone, he wasn’t long for this world. Emotions swam within me. Robin was one of my oldest friends, but was it worth letting Naomi go, especially when she had the two things we needed to end this once and for all?

I was sickened at myself for even thinking it.

“Let me try to help him,” I said.

Max bent down and studied Robin. “You’re probably too late, lass.”

“Please.”

Max met my gaze then. I saw so much there, it made me afraid. His expressions warred between trying to let me help him and helping the woman who still lay on the floor with his most precious possession.

“No,” her guttural voice said, and I knew it was over. “Help me.”

The thin, familiar haze of red crossed through his warm gaze. His mouth thinned. “You heard the lady.”

He stood and headed toward Naomi. I wanted to scream in rage. I was watching my friend die and the love of my life assist my mortal enemy. I bet they didn’t cover that in relationship therapy. His lean frame saunter over to her and I forcefully reminded myself it was not the appropriate time to appreciate his backside. Memories assailed me—the feel of him against me, the devastation of his betrayal, the fact that he marked me…the numerous times he should have killed me but hadn’t.

It stung knowing how much I wanted to go to him but knowing I never could until his compulsion was broken. The letter lay tucked into a pocket in my bra. I couldn’t leave it behind. Even if we were never together, at one time, Max had loved me—loved me enough to save me.

I loved him enough to try to save him, even if it meant walking away from everything else.

It was no longer just us. He had a daughter to save.

I had a kingdom to save. A lover to save. A child to save. And now, staring at my dying friend just a few feet away, a miracle to perform.

Could I do all of it? I wasn’t sure. I knew I would try my hardest. I stepped closer to one of the copper pots glistening with a high polished gleam in the few areas untouched by Belle’s light show. Whoever lived here was extremely proud of their pots. Sort of disturbing, really. Max leaned over to Naomi, pulled something from around his neck, and whispered some kind of incantation over her.

So…being her errand boy came with perks, did it? I watched for a moment as Naomi’s cracked and burned body slowly began to knit itself. Once he became concentrated on his task and stopped focusing on me so much. I leaned forward, touched the pot, and thought one word with all my might.

Maleficent
.

Well, more specifically,
Maleficent, we are completely screwed
. And
I have a gift for you that you’re never going to see unless we get some help here. Please.

It was a last ditch effort. I wasn’t able to communicate with Maleficent after that portal debacle in my living room a few months ago. Trust me, I tried every shiny and reflective surface inside my house, including the toilet water. It wasn’t my finest moment.

I had mere seconds left before Naomi was fully healed and we were all toast. I saw Max shift and I stood abruptly, my hand dropping from the surface of the pot. If I got out of here alive, I was going to murder Rumple first for dropping us into a practical war zone and offering no assistance, then I was going after Naomi. Then, whoever else managed to annoy me—I’d go after them next.

Max stood and offered Naomi a hand up. Her skin looked somewhat healed, but her hair was another matter. It stood out like Frankenstein’s bride and parts of it were completely burned off.

Max winked at me. My mouth twitched.

I tried to act unaffected. “So, what next?”

Naomi smoothed her hands down her blouse, her face a perfectly blank mask. The silence stretched for a moment until she looked up at me, rage flickering through her eyes.

“Kill you, of course. Like I should have done when you were a sniveling teenager.”

Max straightened and the amusement fell from his expression. I was really tired of everyone trying to kill each other. Eventually, one of us had to be successful at it, right?

Hopefully, it would be me, but right now, the odds were stacked against me.

Naomi stalked toward me, murder in her eyes. I stepped back.

Directly into the wall. I looked frantically around the room, but when I went to take off running, I found my feet rooted to the floor.

“Nice try,” Naomi said and grabbed me by the hair.

She pulled me against her, a wicked looking dagger at my throat. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

My witty repartee had left me. I stayed silent, waiting for the inevitable draw across my throat. Max was rooted in place, anguish etched into his features.

The dagger dug into my skin and started its journey.