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'But,' Rabadash says with a wicked smile, 'I don't want you two together anymore. I want her alone.'

My heart skips a beat when two Calormene enter the cell. With menacing steps they stride towards me and I try to duck under their grasp as they reach to grab my arms. I kick at the legs of one, but he easily avoids it while the other grabs me from behind. I try to fight them but my wounded shoulder stings with every movement I make, weakening me and slowing down my movements. I cannot win this fight.

The bastards lift me up and drag me out of the cell.

'Give her the thing she wants us to give,' Rabadash orders before they're out of range.

'Susan!' I scream, but my efforts to escape out of the death-grip have no use; Susan is left alone with the Calormene tiran.

'Let me go!' I yell but my words turn into a scream when one of the men presses his thumb right into my wound. Tears fill my eyes and I gasp for air.

They open a door, but till my surprise it doesn't lead to another cell. The room could've been fit for royalty, if it weren't for the gigantic wall of ice protruding from the marble floor. Something moves inside the ice, but before I can comprehend what it is, the Calormenes push me roughly inside and I stumble over my own feet, falling with a thud on the floor.

I raise myself up but the door behind me is already closed. I'm trapped, again.

'Come closer, dear,' an icy voice travels through the air and as if I'm stuck within a nightmare, I slowly avert my gaze to the wall made of ice.

A tall woman with pale skin and blonde hairs looks at me from within the ice barrier. Her facial features are sharp and her eyes remind me of those of a cat, but they're not warm and kind like Aslan's. This woman's eyes are cold, yet there is a strange sort of fire in them.

'Come closer,' the woman orders again and the wall seems to glow brighter; a blue light rises up from within the barrier, illuminating the room with an icy hue. The temperature drops and my breath creates small clouds in the air. Something inside me warns me I shouldn't listen to the woman, but my feet are no longer my own. I walk closer towards the woman, unable to take my eyes off her. My thoughts become slurred, as if a mist is swirling inside my mind, but when I walk past a broken staff, protruding from the floor in the middle of a blue circle, it clicks. This woman is Jadis.

'Closer,' Jadis whispers again, and somehow her voice no longer feels like a threat as it fills my mind. The pain in my shoulder disappears to the background and with unblinking eyes, I stare at Jadis as she gestures at something at my side.

'Drink,' she says with the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. 'Drink, and you'll never be lonely again.'

How can I say no to that? Her voice is like gentle bells ringing and her eyes are so understanding. Still without taking my eyes off her, I reach for the goblet standing on a small table next to me. The liquid in the cup is transparent, but it smells like vanilla and oranges, and I drink it all, gulping it down in one sip. My vision clouds over and it feels as if I'm slipping into a dreamless sleep.

✦★✦

Elvira's brown eyes are clouded, controlled; she is one of them now. Her face is expressionless as she gazes up to meet the wicked smile of Jadis.

'Who am I?' the witch asks the Telmarine.

'The Queen of Narnia,' Elvira answers without hesitation and Jadis' smile grows even wider.

'Now, dear, I need you to listen very closely. I cannot leave this icy prison without a drop of Adam's blood, the eldest Pevensie to be precise. Get it for me.'

Elvira bows deeply, her dark tousled hair falling in front of her face. 'As you command, your Highness.'

'Guards,' Jadis bellows and the door swings open almost immediately. The two Calormenen guards enter and the white witch stares them down coldly. 'You will allow this young woman and Susan to escape. Sound no alarms. Their escape is part of a greater plan, and I do not want Rabadash to know about it. You serve me now, is that understood?'

The guards' eyes glaze over with a blue glow and they salute. 'Yes, my Queen,' they answer in unison.

Elvira casts one last look at the witch and when she nods in consent, Elvira walks past the guards; her face suddenly mimicking an expression her true self would make as she swipes the guards' legs, knocking them out temporarily when their heads hit the floor. She runs all the way back to the dungeons, but the door to Susan's cell is guarded. However, when their eyes cross they light up in the same unnatural blue hue. This guard is under Jadis' control as well and he knows exactly why Elvira is here and what must be done. The guard nods at the keys dangling on his belt and Elvira hums in understanding before smashing his head against the stone wall; knocking him out too and she swipes the keys.

'Susan, Susan!' Elvira says in a hushed tone when she drops on her knees next to Susan's unconscious body. The lower half of her dress is torn and dark bruises in the form of fingers dot around her neck. This Elvira, however, does not know what it means or simply doesn't care.

'Susan, wake up, please,' Elvira tries again as she shakes Susan's shoulder.

Susan groans and she blinks a few times to sharpen her vision. 'Elvira?' she asks with a hoarse voice.

Elvira nods, her dark eyes darting between the open cell door and Susan. 'Try to stand up. We're escaping. I'm going to get us out of here.'

Tears fill Susan's eyes and she suppresses a sob when Elvira places one of her arms around her own shoulders.

'Ssh,' Elvira consoles her. 'It's going to be all right, but we have to move fast.' She lifts Susan up who groans in pain as she moves. Susan tries not to put too much weight on her friend but Elvira doesn't mind, pulling Susan's arm even a bit further on her own.

'But your shoulder. . .' Susan says, her voice strained in pain.

'I'll be fine.' Elvira waves it away. 'We need to get out of here.'

Susan stumbles a bit over her own feet as Elvira carries her mostly, but then the Gentle Queen seems to get more control over her body again.

The pair of them make their way through the building, but still stumble upon a few dead ends as they have no idea where to go exactly.

Elvira forces both of them back from hence they came when a Calormene rounds the corner. They hold their breath and Susan's eyes grow wide when the sound of his footsteps amplify.

'He's coming this way,' she whispers to Elvira who drops Susan's arm.

'Don't-,' Susan tries but Elvira already shoots around the corner to meet the guard. She smirks as her eyes glow up with a blue light and after a short struggle, the Calormene drops on the ground.

'All safe,' Elvira whispers and Susan comes around the corner as well, her hand pressed against the wall for some support.

They finally make their way out of the building and Susan shields her eyes as the bright sunlight surrounds them, blinding in contrast with the darker inside of the building.

'We're still in Narnia,' Elvira realizes as she takes in her surroundings.

Susan nods but her whole body shakes and Elvira gives her a concerned look. 'We can make it,' she says determined.

Susan simply nods again and as fast as their bodies allow, they flee from the cursed place before the Calormene Tisroc notices they're gone.

✦★✦

The horn of Cair Paravel blares thrice when the soldier on the look-out spots the two figures stumbling out of the forest.

Even Elvira's controlled body starts to wear out as she mostly drags Susan with her. The Queen's eyes are half shut and her legs no longer work as her feet haul through the dark sand.

'We've made it,' Elvira whispers when the main gate opens and two figures on horses shoot out of it.

The distance is quickly closed between them by the horses' speed and Caspian jumps off Destrier, quickly taking over Susan from Elvira. Salvador embraces his sister tightly but then quickly lets go again when he notices the dried blood on her shirt by her shoulder.

Elvira gives him a watery smile. 'Nothing that I can't handle.' She actually didn't feel anything at all, but she couldn't tell them that.

Caspian lifts Susan on his horse and then mounts Destrier as well. Elvira takes her place behind her brother, and the four of them ride back to the castle.

'Susan! Elvira!' Lucy shouts as she runs onto the courtyard, followed by Edmund and Peter.

Elvira's eyes dart to the High King, she needs his blood to free Jadis, but now is not yet the time. She needs to try and get him alone.

'Let's get that wound treated first, all right?' Salvador says, helping Elvira off the horse. 'Then you can rest.'

Elvira agrees with a hum but grabs his wrist before he can call for the other healer at the castle. 'Susan needs him more than I do. I can treat my own wound, I've done it before. You know that. Just help me get to my chambers?' she asks with pleading eyes and Salvador sets his jaw for a moment. His dark eyes shoot towards the unconscious Susan but she does indeed seem to be in a worse state than his sister.

'Very well,' he says, and they set course towards Elvira's room, leaving Susan with her own family and Caspian.

✦★✦

Salvador pulls yet another painful face when Elvira bandages her shoulder.

'I don't understand how you can do that without passing out,' he mutters under his breath and Elvira chuckles, though Jadis' command still echoes throughout her mind. Peter's blood, she needs Peter's blood.

'You'd think a general's heart would've been hardened enough to handle these sorts of things,' Elvira retorts and Salvador huffs before pulling the sheets of the bed away.

'You need to rest. I want to know everything that happened once you're well enough rested,' he says.

'Sounds good to me.' Elvira gets into her bed even though Jadis' voice grows stronger with every passing second. Maybe if she pretends she's asleep, Salvador will leave and she can search for the oldest Pevensie.

On that moment, however, the door opens softly and Peter appears in the opening.

Salvador whirls around and raises an eyebrow. 'What do you want?'

Peter steps inside, his eyes darting between Salvador and Elvira. 'I wondered if I could help with anything?'

'No,' Salvador says curtly, his protective older brother-side shining through. 'She needs to rest.'

Do it now, Jadis voice commands in Elvira's mind, and she jumps up, swiftly grabbing her sword that's leaning against the end of the bed.

Salvador's hand immediately shoots to his own sword when the metal sound of an unsheathing sword rings through the air.

'Elvira?' he asks. 'What are you doing?'

'Getting what I need,' she answers while swinging her sword, and Salvador is too perplexed to get his sword up in time.

'Elvira!' Peter shouts when her sword rips through Salvador's flesh, hitting his right arm and blood streams out of it; some of it landing on Elvira's face as well.

Peter's hands shake as he unsheathes his sword, but blocks her next hit and Elvira's sword is thrown out of her grasp. With a clang it falls on the ground.

'Elvira, snap out of it,' Peter tries again, lowering his sword.

The door hits the wall with a bang and Susan and Caspian run into the room, taking in the scene in front of them.

Elvira wipes some blood of her face and picks up her fallen sword. Peter watches her carefully but hesitates to make another move and before he knows what's happening, she has the tip of her sword pressed against his neck.

'Dont. Move,' she growls.

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