“I meant did she tell you anything else about me?” Shew said.
Cerené’s voice disappeared in the dark for a while, and Shew felt like a blind girl looking for answers.
“Cerené? I asked you—”
“I know. You asked me a question,” Cerené cut her off. “Well, not everything Bianca says is always true.”
“Did she tell you anything about a ‘clue’?” She scooted nearer.
“A clue? What do you mean?”
“Remember when she told you were like a Pandora’s Box, did she elaborate?” She said.
“If she did I don’t remember,” Cerené sighed. “She did tell me something else about you,” she sounded reluctant.
“Please tell me,” Shew said eagerly.
“She told me that I would be doing a great service by saving you repeatedly.”
“That’s about you. What did she tell you about me that you’re trying to keep from me?” Shew insisted.
“She told me that on the other hand, you won’t be capable of taking care of me,” Cerené said. “But that’s just Bianca. Like I said, not everything she tells me is true.”
“Did she explain why I wouldn’t be able to take care of you?” Shew didn’t like Bianca at all now.
“She said you will have a lot on your mind in the beginning of your journey,” Cerené said. “She basically said that you’ll be focused on your love life so much that you won’t do many things you are supposed to do.”
Shew didn’t like what she’d just heard. She was going to take care of Cerené and she wasn’t going to fail. She leaned back, thinking about it.
“Really, don’t listen to Bianca,” Cerené broke the silence. “She talks all the time. Once, she joked that in order for Chosen Ones to become Chosen Ones, they had to be saved repeatedly by unchosen ones,” Cerené laughed. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
“It’s very true,” Shew said. “In fact, I know a mentor who died to save a Chosen One before. Do you know that the old man you met here is dead?” Shew thought she could try to explain to Cerené what was going on. Maybe she could believe her.
“What man?” Cerené sounded upset in the dark. “Charmwill? You know him? Is he dead? How do you know that?” her breath puffed against Shew’s face.
“It’s a complicated story,” Shew said. “I could tell you all about it.”
Unexpectedly, Cerené grabbed Shew from her dress, “Tell me, how did he die? That can’t be,” she said.
“Calm down, I can explain.” Shew didn’t realize Cerené liked the man she had only met once that much. She was over-reacting.
“Where is he? Take me to him,” Cerené insisted. “I know how to save him.”
“He is dead, Cerené,” Shew said.
“I know how to save him,” Cerené repeated, and it sounded as if she were crying. “He told me how.”
“Oh,” Shew said. “You mean you could resurrect him with the blowpipe? How’s that? Carmilla chopped off his head. That cake didn’t kill him—“
“Not with the blowpipe, Joy. Take me to him, Shew,” Cerené went crazy. “Now!”
“That’s impossible. I can’t really explain right now,” Shew was going to tell her that this was a dream and that she had to wake up from it first. “How can you save him, then?”
“I know his True Name,” Cerené whispered. “He told me that I could stay in the cottage and be safe if I kept his true name a secret in me.”
“Charmwill’s name isn’t Charmwill?” Shew wondered.
“His real name is one of three elements needed for his own Art!” Cerené said. “And his Art can resurrect him.”
“You mean we can resurrect Charmwill Glimmer? That’s great news,” Shew said as the sound of an axe banging against the door horrified her.
The two girls plastered their backs against the wall, flashing their weapons in the dark, no words escaping their mouths.
The same axe came slicing through the cottage’s door again, the crack making way for a thin moonbeam into the room.
“What should we do now?” Cerené held Shew’s hand.
“Don’t worry,” Shew said. “I will take care of you,” she squeezed Cerené’s hand tighter. The hell with Bianca. I will take care of you.
A third hit sliced through the door, enough for Loki’s eyes and nose to show through the crack. He sneered at them, his hair dangling down his eyes.
“Piggy, Piggy!” His voice oozed all kinds of evil. “Come to papa!”
“Moutza!” Cerené took a step forward and waved her hand with an open palm and five stretched fingers at Loki.
Nothing happened. Loki mocked her back with glaring eyes, “Moutza Moutza!” He wiggled his eyebrows.
It seemed like he was spiraling down into madness with each passing moment as Carmilla continued to control his veins with the Fleece.
“What’s happened to you, Loki?” Shew screamed. “You were such a kind young boy!”
“I ate a frog for breakfast,” Loki raised his axe and slammed the door, spitting a frog’s legs from his mouth. “He kept telling me he was a prince, but I didn’t care. Could that be the Loki you want, piggy piggy?”
“You hate frogs!” Shew protested.
“I hate you too, princess,” Loki hit the axe. “Doesn’t mean I don’t wan to eat you alive, piggy.”
“Stop calling us piggies!” Cerené protested, ready to swing with her blowpipe.
“But why? I’m hungry as a wolf,” he yanked a big part of the door away, and stuck his whole head inside the cottage, wiggling his tongue. “If you don’t let me come in, piggies,” he impersonated the wolf in the famous fairy tale, “I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down.”
Cerené giggled all of a sudden. Loki’s madness amused her.
“Shut up Cerené,” Shew pulled her back.
“Who’s your little piggy friend?” Loki titled his head, flashing his fakest smile, his hair dangling down his forehead.
“She’s the one who created the dragon that kicked your little butt,” Shew answered.
“Is that so?” he said. “Two hearts and livers are always better than one.”
Shew raised her sword and swung hard at his neck. It was time to chop this annoying version of him off.
Loki pulled back immediately, and Shew ended up slicing the air, her eyes finding Cerené’s, who seemed disappointed with her.
“What?” Shew yelled.
“You know what, Joy,” Cerené frowned. “You didn’t swing hard enough at him. You could have chopped his head off if you wanted to.
“Is this what Bianca told you about? Are you in love with the Huntsman?”
“Of course, not,” Shew snapped, pulling Cerené by the hand. “Come here, I’ll prove it to you,” she ran back to one of the windows and pulled out all the logs as she listened to Loki breaking down the cottage’s door.
Shew and Cerené jumped out and ran toward Shew’s unicorn. As they mounted it, Loki had entered and already reached the window.
“Huntsmen!” he screamed from the top of his lungs, summoning them.
Shew didn’t see the dark cloaked Huntsmen with their three eyed unicorns nearby, but she could hear them approaching, shaking the earth underneath her and Cerené. She whipped at her unicorn with her hand and rode away.
37
Soulbound
“Axel,” Fable opened her eyes slowly. Her brother had been feeding her water and Bram Jam—a special and limited Belly and the Beast offer: one Bram Jam, simply a jam and butter sandwich, and a Dracola, the worst fizzy drink in Sorrow because it tasted like blood. You could get a large or medium Dracola. Hell, you can even get it blood-free, but it tastes awful.
“Are you feeling better, sis?” Axel said.