You may wish to hear the rest of the story. I must warn you. If you listen, small one, I will try. You have the exact headstrong nature as your father.

❂❂❂

With Micah's arms around her, Shadow Weaver fell backward, pulling him beneath her. The moat lay ten feet below –

His head smacked the ice. Blood sprayed as they plunged into the water, ice shocking Shadow Weaver. She inhaled water, trying to surface with him, but he was...too heavy...

Her strength gave out, and she let go. Shadow Weaver kicked to the surface and gulped air before diving down again. She had to find him. The water was murky, and Shadow Weaver had drained Micah of power before they fell – his signature would be invisible. Her lungs burst for lack of air, but she dove deeper. A second too late, and he would drown.

But in that moment of clarity, Shadow Weaver's palms grew warm one last time.

It will hurt.

But I'm used to pain.

With a gargled scream, Shadow Weaver flared her light. The plasma was so hot that it worked underwater; she shot it downward...

There he was. Blood decorated the moat; Shadow Weaver reached the boy from Tropicilas and gripped his hand. Then she used the last of her strength to teleport them to land.

Shadow Weaver unmasked and retched water onto the snow; Micah coughed unconsciously beside her. She edged over to him, lifting him up. The back of his head was bleeding, and his skull was almost certainly fractured. Clear fluid leaked from his nose and ears; Micah had sustained a significant brain injury.

But he was alive. Squinting, he looked up at Shadow Weaver. "Light...Spinner..." Micah fell unconscious again...

I I I you we I you we I you MINE I we you I you he he he he.

Micah was breathing, and his pulse was there, if faint. Shadow Weaver's ribs ached, but she didn't care. He was good. Between faith and fear, with nothing to gain, he had spared her life – repaying her for her good deed all those years ago. It drove the insanity back for a moment.

But unfortunately, she'd injured him for a purpose. Comatose or vegetative, she could end his life without tearing herself apart.

✧✧✧

Carmen found Bianca and Frosta at last. They were hidden in a secret chamber within a chamber, all three locks bolted shut and required the use of the Snows' top guards to access.

Regina's sister rose as Carmen walked in, drawing an ice sword. "I will run you through before –"

Carmen dropped an electric rod at Bianca's feet. "Run."

The sword lowered. "Excuse me?"

"Run," Carmen repeated. "My lady's thinkin' I'm here to kill your niece. So I'm tellin' ya, run."

"Wh...where?" Bianca panted.

Carmen took out a mirror, just big enough for a sorcerer to fit through. "You can use it, yeah? Get to Bright Moon. But first, bond the runestone. My lady's after that too."

Bianca's eyes were wide as she lifted the baby princess to her breast. Frosta...she was only one year old. No matter what, Carmen refused to end the life of a child.

"Why are you helping us?" the regent asked.

"'Cause," Carmen said, "it's the right thing to do. I can't come. Got my lady to attend to – I swore an oath to her, an' I have to take care of my own kiddo. But...good luck."

"I don't want a Horde soldier following us, anyway. Even if she saved our lives." Bianca gave a shuddering sigh. "Yet I wish I could repay you."

Carmen shoved her hands in her pockets. "Ain't no need. You don't cheer someone on for not killin' your kiddo."

Bianca swallowed. "Leave us. And I hope to all the gods that you manage to break free from that oath. Shadow Weaver is a monster."

Carmen sighed, fleeing the room. She had other matters to attend to – such as how she had to fake the princess' death to her lady.

✧✧✧

Shadow Weaver lounged in the queen's chambers in the Palace of the Snows, shivering. She had changed herself and Micah into warmer clothes; the young king lay in the enormous bed, his head wrapped.

She, however, had suffered from fractured ribs again. The breaks were clean through the bone; the medics had given her painkillers, but it wasn't enough to completely alleviate the stabbing sensation. Worse, her hips were bruised, and moving was intensely difficult. At least Shadow Weaver could trust Carmen to finish the job...

Can I trust her to finish the job?

The felinetta walked in, tears on her cheeks as she held a small coffin. "It is done," she said softly.

Shadow Weaver stumbled toward the coffin, peering inside. A small child lay in the cradle of death – wrapped in cloth and bleeding from the heart. Such a tiny creature in a morbid enclosure was decidedly wrong.

Nausea gripped her stomach.

Monster. Murderer.

She growled. "Get it out of my sight."

Carmen's eyes widened. "My lady –"

"I said, take it away!" Shadow Weaver snapped. "We're leaving. Get Micah into one of our armored vehicles – he's coming back in chains."

The felinetta bit her lip. Then she nodded, closing the coffin. "Want me to bury her?"

A long moment passed. Then Shadow Weaver gripped the bedpost, tears leaking from her eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "Do it."

There was no reply as her servant left the room.

❂❂❂

Did you know...

- I originally had the idea that Shadow Weaver saved Micah because she didn't want him to die. However, I decided to change it so she was at least partially motivated by her own self-interest. It makes the most sense for the story.

- Carmen sparing Frosta's life is a huge step for her, although I think regardless of the point of her arc, she would have difficulty killing a child.

Tell me what you think...

- Why is Shadow Weaver crying?

- Will she be strong enough to kill Micah? Why or why not?