The queen—or the mirror talking through the queen—laughed. “You stupid child. You are too late. She is under my control, and through her, your insipid country is as well. Faina is mine now.”
“She’s yours, is she?” Snow White—small among the warriors but outright tiny when compared to the black, armored constructs, stepped forward. “Then if that is the case, why are you so afraid of me?”
Angelique desperately studied Faina, looking for any sign of a spell that controlled the queen. There was magic everywhere; it practically poured off the mirror. But while a spell held the constructs together, there was nothing on Faina.
Maybe it didn’t cast a spell on her—does that mean it’s using its sheer influence? Can it overpower someone with its presence?
Queen Faina slumped out of the throne, standing up as if she were a doll whose limbs were being manipulated. “I do not fear stupid little girls who are so inept and useless, they cannot speak to their own people.”
Snow White winced—it had to hurt to hear her stepmother say that, even if it wasn’t really her—but she didn’t retreat. Instead, her blue eyes sparked with passion. “You’re right. It isn’t me you should fear.”
The queen’s jaw opened unnaturally wide as she giggled. “You think I should hold your little band of warriors in terror? How laughable!” She pointed to the constructs, the mirror’s magic wrapping around her like a cloak. “Attack them!”
With a grinding noise—like rock on rock—the obsidian knights lurched across the room. Their movements were slow initially, but their momentum built into a jog that made the stone floor shake, and eventually the leader of the pack leaped the last few steps, stabbing at Oswald with its heavy, onyx colored sword.
Oswald blocked it, but he nearly fell to his knees in the process, his arms shaking from the force of the construct’s blade. “Dodge their attacks,” he shouted. “A few hits from them, and your arms are done for.”
Rupert moved to aid Oswald, swinging his sword so he struck the construct on the side. “Look for weak points.” He tossed his sword from one had to the other and flexed his fingers. “Striking them is like hitting a boulder.”
Good to know.
Angelique kept an eye on the constructs as the Seven Warriors rose to meet them, then her gaze drifted to the mirror.
Can it sense me? Does it suspect I’m here for Evariste?
Its magic briefly threaded around her, and Angelique had to cling to her core magic with everything she had—holding it back as she made herself assess the situation.
The queen’s eyes stayed on Snow White as she stood behind the line of the Seven Warriors, and the mirror’s magic seemed to be most concentrated on the queen.
I assume that means it believes Snow White is the biggest threat. Does that mean that I need to wait until Snow White at least attempts to free Faina? The mirror would certainly be more distracted then.
Angelique clenched her teeth as she watched the mirror ripple behind Queen Faina, then dragged her gaze to the Seven Warriors.
Aldelbert and Wendal had teamed up, toppling a construct by pulling a rope between the two of them.
Gregori was struggling—his crossbow bolts were unable to punch through the obsidian armor. One of the knights started to grapple with him as Oswald and Rupert fought back-to-back nearby, and Marzell yanked a construct’s helm straight off its shoulders with his whip, revealing shadowy black magic shaped vaguely like a head.
With one last glance at the mirror—and one last shove at her screaming magic—Angelique leaped into the fray.
She launched herself onto a construct’s back, latching an arm around its neck. The construct struggled—trying to reach back and grab her without falling over from the unbalanced weight of its own armor. Angelique flipped the visor of its helm back and dropped a glowing starfire inside.
It didn’t react explosively like the first constructs, but the crystal bothered it. It stopped reaching for her as the crystal rattled its way down the armor, dropping all the way to its feet. Then the construct took a few shaky steps before planting its massive sword on the ground—ruining the expensive stone flooring—and shook its head.
Angelique hopped off its back and scurried away, just as Aldelbert and Wendal swooped in with their rope. The duo wrapped it around the construct’s legs and yanked, toppling it to the ground with a crunch that reverberated in the chamber.
With all the constructs occupied, Snow White charged across the throne room, meeting Queen Faina over the floor mural of a charging ram.
“You really are an idiot.” The queen still spoke in that strange, watery voice as Snow White drew closer.
Angelique watched them for a moment, then jogged past Fritz, who dodged a construct—which rammed helm-first into a wall and fell onto its back.
These constructs are more powerful and more difficult to fight, but they certainly aren’t smarter. At least we have that advantage.
“Are you going to keep an eye on her, or should I?” Angelique yelled to Fritz as she pointed at Snow White.
The princess was still talking with Queen Faina—or the mirror, really—determination making her chin rise as she stepped closer to her stepmother.
Fritz took the time to stare at Angelique for several very long seconds.
“Understood—you’re going to watch her with all of your undying but poorly-timed love.” Angelique winked at him, then skipped around a construct Marzell was fighting, trying to edge her way closer to the mirror without being noticed.
Her magic snarled like a lion, its sharp edges prickling Angelique’s consciousness in its desire to be free.
It’s been a long time since I’ve actively held my magic in. But Snow White needs time to reach Faina…and I need to secure any advantage I can.
Rupert knocked a construct’s helm off its shoulders with such force, the helm flew across the room and smacked the wall.
Angelique tossed a starfire crystal into the construct’s armor as she scurried past, only paying enough attention to make sure the magical creation didn’t strike her.
Most of her attention was on the mirror. She tried to study it, squinting through the shadowy fog of magic that surrounded it.
I don’t see any spells around it…
She ran to the far side of the room, attempting to peer at the mirror’s side—if there was a spell inscribed in its back, she’d surely see flickers of magic even from that angle.
She passed Gregori, who had a few cuts but didn’t seem too hindered as he ripped an arm off a construct and used it to beat the construct on the head.
She took the time to slip a starfire crystal down the open arm hole while craning her neck.
Blood-colored magic drifted off the mirror’s back, but there were no symbols of magic that she could see.
I’m not sure if that’s encouraging or discouraging. I won’t have to worry about tripping any nasty spells, but how, then, is it holding onto Evariste?
She could see the threads of Evariste’s bright blue magic that leaked from the mirror’s surface—a sure sign he was, indeed, inside.
If there’s not a spell holding him in, how am I supposed to get him out?
Off to the side, Snow White continued to argue with the mirror/her stepmother.
“Empty entreaties, princess. I already told you—Faina is gone!” The mirror growled through Queen Faina