❝I entered the darkness and laid my release.❞

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CHAPTER EIGHT:

THE DEAL

                         Big, wet rocks sat one after another at both sides of the long corridors that formed the dungeons. That part of the castle was cold and dark, only occasionally illuminated by the flickering light coming from torches that hung from the unstable walls. She strolled down the intricate passages, knowing exactly where she was heading. Back when she had been nothing but a curious child, she had always loved to play hide and seek down there with Peter Pan. Needless to say, neither Snow nor Charming had ever been fond of such crazy ideas and would always try to intervene whenever they were warned about her presence by some brainless guard. After having overheard their conversation some minutes ago, Emery had finally realized the main problem had never been her wild behaviour, but Peter himself. To the royal couple, he was a wicked creature with the power to destroy their little fairy tale world. At the remembrance of them trying to make her stay away from the boy, she gritted her teeth.

She had been honest when she'd said she wasn't sad. No, she wasn't upset. She was angry; beyond livid.

And she didn't care about right or wrong anymore; from that moment on, she decided to start worrying only about her own wellbeing. Peter Pan would be the exception, for she couldn't hold a grudge against him for something he hadn't done; he was her only friend at that point, someone she fully trusted and adored. He was the only one she could turn to.

A big cell stood at the end of the wide corridor. Two guards patrolled it, and no soul dared to speak a word in fear of the danger it could arise. One of them stepped up and blocked her path when she was approaching, and she bit back a huff.

"You are not supposed to be here," he stated in a stoic, almost robotic voice.

Emery smiled in feigned innocence. "I won't be long," she assured, but the guard refused to let her through. Rolling her eyes, she muttered something under her breath, before her hand flew into the man's chest and ripped his heart out.

As the dead guard fell to the ground, his comrade rushed towards her, sword wielded. However, before he had the chance to attack, delighted giggles erupted from the inside of the dark cell.

Crack.

The man dropped dead within seconds, neck broken by an invisible force ㅡ by him.

"I see you've been practising." Laughter echoed in the passage once again, then the same amused voice spoke, "Come forth, dearie."

Glancing at the bodies at her feet for a fleeting moment, Emery shook her head to clear her thoughts and walked up to the prisoner. The golden face of the sorcerer greeted her, his sickening grin wide enough for her to see his dirty teeth. Amber eyes glinted in dangerous mischief and showed the cunning character that he was.

"Yes, there is something different in you," he observed and giggled maniacally. "But as much as I'd love to know about your affairs, I am certain you haven't decided to drop by to talk about trivialities."

"I've just found about your whereabouts, to be honest."

Rumpelstiltskin hummed and waved a skinny hand in the air. "An unfortunate incident brought me here, but that lacks of importance at this very moment." The sorcerer stared at her with hard eyes, surveying her with his tricky mind, and then grinned. "The question is: what is your purpose in this lovely place?"

"I want to make a deal," Emery stated, causing him to grip the bars of his cell and press his glittery face against them.

"Deals, deals, deals; everything involves a deal," he sang in mock exasperation. "Be more specific, dearie."

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as the sorcerer taunted her, yet she didn't comment on it and searched for the proper words instead, for she was knew ㅡ as she had met the tricky being many times before ㅡ he had an irritating passion to twist their meaning for his own benefit.

"As I'm certain you know ㅡ because let's be honest, nothing escapes you ㅡ, a fairy stole part of my memories when I was younger." She ignored the aching in her heart at the remembrance of her friend's betrayal and added, "I want them back."

Rumpelstiltskin touched his chin with one long finger, hummed and smiled. "No can do, I'm afraid."

"What?" Emery exclaimed, baffled.

He observed her for some more seconds before explaining, "Memory spells are something very complex, dearie, and can only be broken by the most powerful magic of all." His eyes seemed to laugh at her when he revealed, "True love's kiss."

At that, she could not help but huff. However, when the sorcerer kept staring at her with the same expression, she sobered up. "You're not joking," the girl realized, and incredulity spread across her face as she threw her arms up. "That's the most absurd thing I have ever heard."

"Not everything in life is easy, Emery Red."

Biting back a groan, the girl ran a hand along her face and pinched the brick of her nose. Giving up was not in her dictionary; she was stubborn — sometimes, annoyingly so — and therefore, she'd go to extremes to reach her goal and have her way. However, there was no possible solution to her current problem, and she was extremely irked by the sorcerer's words.

The only way to get my memories back is by getting a true love's kiss? Unbelievable, she thought while puckering her lips into an angry frown.

No matter how much she was racking her mind in search of a way around, Emery was out of ideas; which only added up to her initial annoyance. She could feel his eyes on her, laughing at her turmoil, and she gave a sigh.

"There is something you can do, however," Rumpelstinskin commented in a low voice.

At once, the girl turned towards him. "But you sai—"

He lifted a finger and shook his head, before his mouth stretched into a wicked grin. "Let me rephrase that, and don't interrupt again." His voice cut through the air like the coldest breeze of winter, sending chills down her spine. "The spell that little fairy casted upon you can only be broken by a true love's kiss — that is just how magic works, dearie. But, there is someone who might be able to help you find what you seek."

Arching an eyebrow, Emery processed his words and searched for the proper reply to give. "I thought you were the most powerful being alive. Why would I need to look for someone whose magic is inferior?"

Laughter echoed within the dungeons.

"You are interesting, Emery Red. I can see why you're involved in so many stories," the sorcerer mused with a secret smile. "The reason I can't — no, I won't — aid you is very simple: I made a deal with your enemy. It seems Tinkerbell feared we would be finding ourselves in this lovely place — for a fairy, she's not so slow-witted."

Her hands clenched into fists, and she gritted her teeth. Her heart kept being stabbed by her friend's betrayal, and Emery wondered what could have driven her to take such drastic actions.

"Who is this person you're talking about?" she asked while pushing her dark thoughts away to focus on the matter at hand.

Rumpelstinskin observed her with an unreadable expression, as if he were studying her reactions. "My best pupil. She's a difficult woman, but I am certain that she will be pleased with your arrival."

Frowning, Emery chose not to comment on it and contented herself with trusting his words — not a wise idea, but she had no other choice. Her eyes shifted to glance around the cell, and she tilted her head.

"What do you want in return of that information?" she inquired in a hum. "To break you out?"

But he laughed, eliciting a surprised glance from her. "Dearie, I was caught for a reason. Sometimes, you need to keep your enemies closer in order to defeat them." Stepping back, he shot her a dark look. "You will owe me one in the future, Emery Red. Whatever I come to you for, you will not have another choice but to oblige."

Some seconds ticked by, before she muttered, "Deal."