The forest I was crossing through was on the north-west side of the palace, that much I could see from the small glimpses of the moon above.

This meant, Prince Vance couldn't have gotten me away too far from the oak garden. He was in a haste. And if I wasn't so wrong, he was currently leading the rebellion group toward the palace, judging by the vague roar of people coming from my right.

After a few miles, I reached an edgy clearing and could even see a dim yellow hue glowing at the bottom sky of the horizon. The looming dark structure of the twinkling palace was but a small cube from this distance.

Were my kids already...

"No," I shook my head and rushed close to the ragged edge of the grassy cliff. "No. No. No."

My frantic gaze assessed the dizzying bottom and I gulped, moving away my wild strands as the night breeze ruffled my caramel mess.

I had no time to think.

With that, I gathered the skirt of my gown and tied it around my waist with busy hands. Next, I crouched to the edge and lowered myself below the cliff, keeping my feet on the bumps of the precipice and my hands on the rough edge.

A shaky breath escaped my lips as I lowered my left foot to another stray dip and searched for another bump. When I found one, I stuck my other foot there and held down onto the bumps on both sides of my face level. I must have looked like an edgy starfish with my position but I didn't care. The image of my kids was the fuel I needed to keep me going through this terrible motion of hanging between life and death.

It was a slow process and took much of my precious time. There were even moments when I lost my footing, seconds of doubt and fear, times when the rough cold wind wanted to throw my hanging self down straight to the bottom. But I clung to the cliff with my dear life and finally, the moment came when I made a small jump from the final bumps and touched the rock, hard bottom with a ragged grunt.

A choked laugh escaped my lips as I stood up. I really made it. Terrence would have given me a good scolding had he been seeing me right now.

Speaking off...

I turned around and saw the yellow glow now burning a bright orange afar and the noise of the uproar had grown significantly as well.

I rushed down the final low curve of the hill as I moved toward the palace to save my family from my people and hoping against hope that it wasn't too late already.

"Please, Terrence, just hold on a while. Just a little more while."

***

The roar of the crowd grew more thunderous as I crossed each mile between them and me. But what made me stop in my tracks as I reached the palace border was the horrible scene ahead of me.

I stood frozen as I watched the ugly yellow fire blazing the scones that my coven people were holding. But that didn't faze me.

It was the way they were using that fire to burn the faces of my Ravendale soldiers.

It was in the raged motion with which my soldiers moved to slice and behead whichever coven people they could find on their way.

Two parts of my heart were shredding each other apart and I was doing nothing but clasping the fabric of my chest with trembling hands. Hot tears burned down the path of my cheeks along the way.

I shuddered more when one of the coven people on my right blazed a bright green electricity and burned the nearest soldier into ashes within a blink.

The uproar that caused next after that was nearly unbearable to watch. It was raw. It was gory. It was filthy as Ravendale retaliated with their vigorous mage magic. They were also dressed in soldier armor. But it was as if they were waiting for the Eastern Coven to unleash their witch selves to bring out those gray and violet currents of Ravendale left and right.

Ravendale housed these magical talents but, I knew. But it was the first time I was witnessing those vicious whips of colors curl through the air, eliciting raw screams of agony from the depths of my coven people's souls.

And amidst the chaos of gray, green, and violet, I could spot sparkly rays of bright blue as well.

My breath hitched as I saw Terrence's twisted face curled into a terrifying sneer as he hurled his blue currents around in a hazy blur. High King Wardon was right beside him, sporting the same vigor and fury in his actions and expressions. But my gaze kept switching over to my husband.

I had never seen that calm man so... unraveled ever. He was a man who lost his kids in the ugly chaos of rebellion. And all because of that bastard Vance.

Fire burned like a boiling lava inside my chest as I looked around the crowd in search of that slimy vermin. For some reason, my eyes drew up toward the western towers of the palace on my right.

My gaze narrowed as I spotted a shadowed figure standing in leisure on an open terrace of the tower.

The burning in my chest turned unexpectedly scorching as they rushed through my veins in hot liquid.

"I will destroy you, Vance." I gritted my teeth, watching the man lean into the railing as though he was watching an amusing show below.

Without another thought, I rushed into the crowd. Destination? That filthy Blue bastard.

The first people to notice me were my coven people.

"There's that greedy bitch!" He screamed, pointing his bloody finger at me.

And the others on his side roared in pure rage as they turned their attention toward me. Their hands rose to hurl green poison at me. But before any of them could hit me, Ravendale army took the chance and descended on them with renewed vigor.

But I was not in a state to calculate how my own coven turned against me so openly and how my kingdom defended their queen using the opportunity. I only strode through the raging massacre, vaguely hearing someone screaming my name in the crowd as currents passed close behind my ears. Probably, Terrence.

Unfortunately, all noises blurred into dim mumbles as I neared the regal double doors of the Ravendale palace. Its big mouth was wide open to swallow me inside, awaiting someone's demise inside its dark depths.

Hallways, stairs, and rushing people were a passing memory as I crossed the heavy distance between Vance and me with eager rush.

Red clouded my vision. Blood rushed faster through my veins, threatening to burst them, the moment I spotted that disgusting worm holding my Hermione in his dirty hands near the stone railing beyond the wide, open archway. His back was facing me as he cooed at my giggling daughter.

The sight alone was enough to throw all my rationality as bloodlust engulfed the very essence of my soul. And I ran.

I ran with all my enraged motherly might toward that snake.

And hit my head on something hard right at the entrance of the archway.

A groan escaped my lips as I frowned and looked at the still-open path yet blocked with some invisible barrier.

A smooth snicker prickled my nerves as I watched Vance turn around.

"Took you long enough, I must say. Did you miss us that much? Right, Hermione?" He smirked at her, jumping to sit on the stone railing and bouncing my daughter dangerously along the way.

"Hermione!" My hand rose on its own at the action, raw fear replaced the raging fire of fury as I saw how close to the edge Vance had placed my daughter as he sat her down on the railing.

"Ma...ma...boo." Hermione wiggled her arms at me, her unwavering giggles only gnawed at my heart as I clasped the invisible wall of the archway.

"Let me in! Let my Hermione go!" I cried, "You can't do this to her!"

Vance chuckled. "You certain? You wish for me to let her..." He tilted Hermione's body backward to the edge.

"No!" I screamed. "No. Don't! Don't hurt her."

Vance hummed. "I'm confused, Queen. What is it that you want exactly? For me to release your precious little daughter or not? Well, there's Damien to replace her as well so..."

My heart stopped as I followed his gaze to my left.

There, my Damien was sprawled close to the railing on the floor, sleeping or unconscious or...

My heart jumped at the final thought and I shook my head.

"No, you can't do this." My gaze snapped to the smirking devil. "You can not do this! They're just kids, dammit! Your brother's kids!"

"The brother who helped taint our bloodline. Your point?"

That cruel...

"Are you even human! That freaking bloodline is everything to you? More than your blood!"

"First off-"

"Hold her tight! Don't sway back!" I pressed myself against the cold, glass barrier.

He snickered and raised his finger. "As I was saying, first, I'm not human. I'm above their lowly status. A blue. Second... Well, I feel like we've discussed this earlier and I do not wish to be a broken record."

If only a glare could melt bones...

"Now, tell me, Queen. What shall it be?" He looked down at my wiggling daughter playing with her frock now."Should I throw her down into that fiery mess or it's going to be Damien? You're the mother so I'm granting you the honor to choose."

"You filthy-"

"Alright, I'll choose for you. Um..." He tapped his chin. "How about our sleepy Damien! He's a prince and he's unconscious. He won't even feel a thing, right, Hermione?" He cheered with glee, tickling my daughter and earning her innocent cackles.

"No," I shook my head vigorously, curling my fingers against the glass. "Vance, you will not do this! Your brother and father won't forgive you!"

"Well, turns out," He lowered Hermione on the ground with a soft thump, earning a yelp from her and a cry from me. "I don't need their forgiveness either. Father is useless. And Brother?" He huffed. "A spineless wife crawler. It'd be better if he became senseless after losing his children and wife as well. Would make my ascend to the throne easier, don't you think?"

Ah, bloodline. My donkey's ass! He was really after his brother's throne.

I huffed, hitting the glass barrier. "You finally showed your true colors, didn't you? So, how do you plan to ascend the throne without a wife, huh? Who's going to marry your back-stabbing vermin ass?"

"My daughter," a voice spoke from the hallway behind me.

I whipped around and my gaze widened in pure shock.

"Lucinda..."

"Pardon me, Your Majesty. But I must allow this to happen," she said while walking toward my frozen self. "His Highness has promised to marry my daughter and make her the queen. The rightful person who has the knowledge and upbringing to carry out a queen's responsibilities unlike some... witch."

I couldn't believe this.

The huff that escaped my lips was rather unprompt. "Wow... You truly are something else, aren't you, Lucinda? All these years, I had been thinking you were a wise woman and you... Damn! You really got me there."

She narrowed her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

I shook my head. "Knowledge and upbringing, huh? Well, I'd like to see how this knowledge and upbringing help your daughter-whoever the hell she is-when our Vance gets bored with her and wipes her out of his way once he gets everything from her."

Lucinda's wide eyes snapped up to me. "He would never! He loves Meredith."

I smirked. "He wouldn't? He's throwing off his brother's kids out the railing just because they are in his way to climb the throne ladder, and you believe he'd spare your dear Meredith? You are far simpler than I thought."

Lucinda sputtered as she eyed Vance behind me.

Guess, she didn't think this far with her shiny golden glasses of greed.

The smirk I had been sporting, vanished from my lips as I leaned closer to her. "You brought this on yourself. You helped a devil, ruined my life, my family's life. Now, your daughter will pay the price."

"Don't listen to her, Lucinda," the devil drawled behind me and I snapped my head to him. "We have bigger things to deal with. I had been courting Mere for almost two now. What does she have to fear?"

The wink he gave me had my gaze narrowed.

Almost two years... That meant he had been brewing this conspiracy since I came to the palace.

He set up Lucinda to be my governess to spy on me.

He filled my coven's ears against me with bullshit.

He started the rebellion and rallied it from the shadows.

All. This. Freaking. Time!

I growled. "You bloody-"

"That's it. Enough dragging this drama out. I'm tired. I have to expel coven dirts out of Ravendale tomorrow. There's also the fact of crying over my dead niece and nephew and their sweet mother before the public. My hands are full. Lucinda?"

Before I could move, Lucinda grabbed my arms and held my wriggling self tightly as Vance raised his hands.

A flash of blue glowed in his hands as he twisted his wrists toward the archway.

A faint blue ripple waved through the entire length of the archway as the barrier probably vanished from our path.

My thought turned right as Lucinda dragged me forward through the archway.

I grunted, trying to break free from her iron grip as my helpless gaze switched between my two kids.

"So!" Vance clapped his hands. "Let's start with Damien as discussed, shall we? Oh, Lucinda? How much time do we have again before our precious queen gains back her witchy spells?"

"The taming potion from her people assures at least three more hours, Your Majesty."

Three hours!

My heart stopped.

I didn't even have three minutes! What would I do?

Vance offered a smooth chuckle. "Right. That's plenty for us, I believe."

With a smooth flourish, he turned left and began walking toward my Damien.

"No!" I screamed and used all my strength to twist my body in awkward bends, kicking Lucinda's heel on the way.

The old bones of hers finally gave way to the weakness and I pulled myself free after sending a blow to her stomach with my elbow.

She let me go with a huff and I dashed toward my son.

Vance clicked his tongue and snapped his wrist up, sending a string of sparkling blue current my way.

But I couldn't move away with my momentum and my entire chest burned with a sizzle the second his current hit me, sending me backward to the wall on the right of the archway.

I groaned, dropping down on the cold floor with a thud. But immediately forced my weak self to stand on my aching, trembling limbs.

Although, before I could take a step, a cry escaped my lips as another string of current tightened around my chest and arms like that coiled rope. Only this time, the current seemed to be planning on burning through my very bones.

The agony was so intense, tears streamed down my face like a blue fountain, making me lie down on the floor on my stomach. And yet, my heart burst only after seeing my son in the devil's grasp.

I wiggled, struggling to drag myself forward despite the searing hot pain. But it wasn't as easy as before. Not when a certain pointy heel pressed down on my back, pinning me straight to the ground.

"Stay still, Your Majesty, lest you hurt yourself."

I grunted against the fake calm tone of this old bitch. "Let me go, Lucinda! Argh!"

"I'm afraid I can not." She looked up as Vance walked to the railing, holding my limp son at his arm's length.

"No!" I cried when he held Damien by his collar and hung him beyond the safety of the railing.

A cold breeze brushed the soft dark strands of my son.

"Boo... boo?"

My gaze snapped toward my little girl as she looked at me with a confused frown. Then, she began crawling my way.

I shook my head. "No, Hemy! My dear, stay back. Don't come to Mama."

She paused for a while, tilted her head, and fastened her pace with another excited 'Mam!'

"Mam... Mam?" I gasped at the sleepy drawl of my Damien.

His eyes fluttered open as Vance bounced him gently on his shoulder.

He chuckled, looking down at my son as he stopped before the marble railing. "Oh, look! My dear nephew is awake."

But Damien's confused gaze was locked onto my lying self on the ground. "Mam?"

"Damien- Argh!" I choked, wriggling against the tight hold of Lucinda who now clasped my hair back, allowing a prickling hot pain to engulf my burning scalp.

"Mam!" Both of my children cried out seeing me in such despair.

Hermione bawled her eyes out first, crawling toward me as fast as she could with her little limbs.

Damien snotted all over Vance's suit, kicking his feet and earning an annoyed tsk from his uncle over the matter.

My babies. My poor babies...

"I'm sorry..." I rasped, harsh sob raking through my body as I closed my eyes and lowered my head against the cold stone. "Mama failed. Mama couldn't help you."

"Mam!" Damien screamed and I snapped my wild gaze up, my breath hitching at the sight.

Vance held my crying little boy over the railing, grinning like a beast as he eyed Damien wiggling in his fickle hands.

Any moment now and-

I shook my head.

No.

No, I couldn't watch this.

I couldn't let this happen.

But what else could I do? What was in my strength to stop this disaster unless...

I froze.

Unless... Some divine miracle happened.

I gulped.

But what divinity would help me? I have never believed, never prayed to any Gods in my whole life, at least, none other than my husband's Superior Strength. That too, only tonight. But...

I licked my cracked lips.

Would he listen? Would he care to respond to my unfaithful self once more if I call?

"Mam! Mam!" Hermione was closer within my reach now, if only I could just stretch my arms-

I groaned as Lucinda punched my spine blades and yanked my hair only to hit my head against the floor hard.

Hermione screamed death at my cries and froze on her way, trembling like a leaf as she watched blood gushing down on the floor from my cracked forehead like a river.

My vision swayed as I watched her teary blue eyes.

I would never forget the look of pure terror in their faces.

"Sorry... Herm..." I moaned.

Sorry, you had to see Mama like this.

Sorry, I was a worthless mother to you, to your brother.

Raw shame and helplessness coursed through my veins, pressing down on my soul heavier than Lucinda's knee over my face.

As if to prove my point, Damien's scream turned a notch higher when Vance bounced him up and down in the air, holding him up with only his scruff now.

Vance laughed a pure maniacal laughter. "See, Queen? See how he's quivering like a frightened lamb? And he will reign the throne with the strength of your tainted blood. Ha!"

"Vance! You will regret this- Agh!" My left cheek burned with vigor as my face hit the hard floor.

"Shut up, Your Majesty," Lucinda said, now straddling my back like I was a wild horse. "We've had enough of your nonsense. Your Highness, drop him."

"No! Damien!" I screamed. "Not Damien! Not my son! Spare him!" The sob that wrenched out of my soul rivaled the raging uproar at palace grounds.

Vance's twinkling blue eyes looked back at me.

And smirked.

"Too late."

Damien's scream was the wildest as he flailed harder going down. The last thing I saw was his terrified teary blue eyes seeking me out for help.

The one that I would never forget for as long as I live.

The last thing I heard was the echoes of his cries haunted the air with each second gravity pulled at him.

I forgot to speak.

I forgot to breathe.

I forgot to feel...

Suffocating numbness consumed my soul as I watched the empty space which occupied my son seconds ago with my mouth hung agape.

Vance's grinning face was a blur. Lucinda's voice was a muffled mumble in my ear. All I could think was my son, my Damien... I lost him.

I lost my little Damien.

Because of them.

Because of these monsters!

I gritted my teeth watching Vance walk toward my daughter. My Hermione.

And closed my eyes shut in rage, calling upon the only God I knew.

Was that how you rewarded your devotees, Superior Strength? Did Terrence really deserve this? Did my son, who did not even know the world, deserve this? Answer me, Superior Strength! Answer me! Respond to a mother's plea, if you care even an ounce for us!

My breathing turned ragged. My heart seemed to burst out of my chest. And my thoughts were all over the place.

I get it, I never acknowledged you, but Terrence? He believed in you, Superior Strength. He had faith that you would listen to him, that you would protect his family and his kingdom and this was how you repaid, huh? By letting a beast murder my son and doing nothing about it! And now that beast was upon my Hermione. Would you watch in silence even now? Were you waiting until my daughter too-

A strangled sob trembled my entire being as my head pressed hard to the floor. My nails dug deep into the tender flesh of my numb palm, a poor attempt to gather my shattered existence.

What was it you wanted? Did you want me to beg, to accept you as my God, just like Terrence? Would you save my Hermione then? Would you let me avenge my son's death after that? If so...

A sharp stillness pressed heavier on my inside. Years' worth of my beliefs, my values, my morals... They shattered into a thousand tiny pieces as if they never mattered. They really didn't, not when I was about to lose my entire world, my sole purpose to live, my kingdom, my coven, my Terrence, my Hermione, my... Damien.

Damien.

Oh, my sweet Damien.

Always smiling...

Eyes twinkling like a newborn star...

"Mam..." his giggles echoed from afar as he emerged from darkness, tiny arms stretched out, small steps so wobbly, hurrying toward me. "Mam... Mam. Mam!"

Damien screamed, taking a wrong step just as his fingers were about to touch my outstretched hands.

And falling down and down, right into the dark abyss of ever-hungry, all-consuming darkness.

And I gasped, my eyes flung open and I realized that scream earlier was not from my son, but my daughter.

Hermione was in Vance's cursed arms and they were heading back to the railing.

"Awake from your daydream, Your Majesty?" Lucinda drawled.

Superior Strength... I was ready to accept you. I would devote my entire life to you, if you want.

"Good, it'll make the moment of my victory more fun." Vance laughed as he stretched his arms beyond the railing, holding my crying daughter in a loose grip.

I would do anything. Just let me have my revenge, let me save my child. Help a mother.

"I agree," Lucinda hummed. "The coven is already in scrambles. Once we're done with the mother and daughter and King learns of this... predicament, the kingdom will be in despair as well. Perfect time for you to claim the throne."

That was all I asked of you, my God.

I closed my eyes and breathed, forcing myself to calm my shaking nerves.

The resistance upon summoning my energy was expected. However, I pushed through the clogged sensation of my blocked energy, the face of my crying daughter working as a much-needed fuel of strength.

I stilled my whole body, increasing the force of my summoning, resulting in a sudden rise of spiking headache but I did not care. I had my child to save and a child killer to swallow the venom of a mother's wrath.

I gritted my teeth, a low growl escaping my lips as my body trembled harder.

"I think she's calling upon her energy, Your Highness." Lucinda's wary voice prickled my already sensitive ears.

Vance snorted and drawled, "Let her try. Not even Superior Strength can help her now."

You heard that, Superior Strength? Would you still stay silent after this? Would you really not help?

As if to respond, the clogged sensation in my system suddenly vanished with a sharp prickle in my nerves. An all-consuming wave of energy crashed through my veins, as if in dire need to escape the prison of my body.

A strong wave of euphoria and relief engulfed my soul right before a shrill scream roused from above.

Vance froze mid-motion of dropping Hermione. His head snapped back, revealing his wide, astonished eyes.

"What in the world..."

I wanted to ask the same question as I slowly sat on my knees, ignoring a groaning Lucinda on the floor a few steps away from me.

My gaping mouth and bulging eyes watched the residue of crackling sparks in my hands.

Both green... and white.