Page 55 of Snows Sinful Seven

I should turn around and leave, do what I’m supposed to be doing. Every second that passes is time lost.

But there’s something inside me that screams that I need to go; I need to follow this voice.

So, I do. I take the path to my immediate left and head down it. It’s smaller, not going very far off the path. At first, I think it’s a dead end. Lifting the flashlight up, I search every inch of the space, but I don’t see anything that could open a door like the lever to the entrance down here.

“There has to be a way,” I murmur to myself. Would they have wasted time making a path only for it to be a dead end?

My hand grazes over the cold stone before I give it a little push.

The wall moves a little bit, a small crack of light spilling into the dark space. I pull my hand back, not wanting to push it open too much with no way to close it.

Squinting, I try to peek through the crack. I can’t see anything, really, but I can hear the voices a lot louder now.

“I can’t believe it’s done,” the king chuckles. “Now, no one will be able to get in my way. This kingdom is mine. I am the rightful ruler. Her mother was a fool to think she could rule. She was just a girl. A silly little girl who knew nothing. Just like her mother. Both of them, stupid women.”

“I agree, your highness,” a voice I recognize as Max, the man who I saw with the king in the magic mirror. “But now, she is no longer a threat. You are free with no worries that she will come for your throne.”

My eyes widen. What does he mean? No. No, he can’t be saying what I think he’s saying.

“Are you sure she’s gone? You’ve dealt with her body.”

“I’ve seen to it myself, sir. I can assure you my plan has worked. The princess is gone. She will not be an issue any longer.”

“Good.” The king nods.

“What will you tell the people when they ask where she’s gone?”

“I’ll tell them she’s traveling the world. She’s young, and life is short. She’s enjoying herself before she marries and settles down. They all know she likes nature. It wouldn’t be hard to believe.”

“And when she never comes back?” Max asks.

I can hear the sinister tone in his voice and can imagine the cruel grin on his face at his next words. “Accidents happen all the time when a young one travels.” He chuckles. “Even princesses aren’t an exception.”

I don’t realize there are tears spilling down my cheeks until I try to take a breath but find myself unable to.

No. She can’t be dead. I refuse to believe it.

Slowly, I step back before spinning around and taking off down the path. I keep going, running until I get back to the first break. Instead of taking the way that leads to the woods, I head back towards the palace.

Once I’m back inside, I keep going all the way to the stairwell that leads up to the room with the magic mirror.

Until I see her with my own eyes, no longer breathing, no longer with us, my mind won’t accept she’s gone. Not my Snow, not my sweet, kind-hearted princess.

Ignoring the pain in my chest, I take the stairs two at a time, numb to everything around me. I bust into the room and stumble my way over to the mirror.

My eyes flick over it, trying to find out how to get the damn thing to work. “Hello!” I scream at it, tears blurring my eyes. “Turn on,” I plead. “Tell me where she is. Please,” I sob. “Work, damn it, work!” I run my hand along it before giving it a few bangs. “Turn on. Please, tell me where she is.” Closing my eyes, I press my forehead to the mirror. “Please. Tell me where the princess is. I need her. I need Snow. She can’t be gone. She justcan’t!” I scream as droplets roll off my cheeks, landing on the glass.

I gasp as it starts to glow. Taking a step back, I see it swirl white. A second later, an image appears.

“Snow?” my voice is a broken sob. I reach out, running my fingers over her face. “My sweet Snow.”

The image zooms out, and panic fills me when I see she’s not alone. Six massive beasts stand around the bed she’s lying in.

“It’s okay, princess,” the white one says, running a massive hand over her head to smooth her hair back. “We’re going to fix this. We’re going to find a way to save you.”

“If Dallas couldn’t find out what poison it was, then how the fuck do we get her to wake up?” the black one growls.

Wake up? So, she’s not dead. If she’s not dead, then... she must be sleeping.

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