Page 58 of Snow White

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Azura

Snow.

I glance up from my hands, the chill leftover from her exit disappearing.The warmth crashes in, suffocating me. Sweat beads on my brow, and my skin flushes with the sudden temperature change. The ice trail she left behind is melting.

Why would it do that? I fan my hand in front of my face, watching as the ice turns to water and evaporates. Her magic is vanishing.Something’s wrong.

I bolt out of my room, barely remembering to belt my robe closed. Snow’s door is locked. Without a thought to hiding my magic, I spin a spell, breaking it open. A quick sweep of the room shows me it’s empty. For the space of a single frantic heartbeat, I think I’m imagining things. But my breath fogs the air, and my gaze snaps to her closed bathing chamber door. I slam my shoulder against the wood until I hear the ice break on the other side. My mind is too scattered, too frantic, to summon my magic.

My heart freezes in my chest when I slip on the blood. My throat is closing, the air refusing to come in as my mind spirals into denial. This is a nightmare.Wake up! Wake up!A single blink takes eons, but nothing changes.

Someone shouts her name, begging her to wake up. I can’t hear, but my body moves. I try to stem the blood still pouring from her fragile arm. Why won’t it stop bleeding?

I grab the back of her neck, my hands slippery with her blood. Someone speaks again. I can’t understand the words. Are they screaming?

Her eyelids flicker, the slightest bit of movement, and suddenly I can hear again. My senses are assaulted by my frantic breathing, the pounding of my heart, and the ice crashing to the floor.

“Azura,” she says, her voice a broken whisper.

My heart pounds painfully in my chest. “What did you do, darling?” My voice cracks and wobbles as if I’ve been screaming.

She mumbles, and I can barely make it out. “Never... enough.”

A tear slides down my cheek.Me. She did this because of me.I broke her far worse than I thought, so deeply that I don’t think she can ever be whole again. I can’t let this be. Snow deserves a long, happy life, full of smiles and laughter. Others need to experience her love, her innocence, and purity. This won’t be her end.

This will never be her end.

I reach up and flick my tear onto her wound, the tips of my fingers turning black. My body hums and vibrates as I call up every ounce of dark magic I possess. My hair lifts from my back, floating around me, black flames dancing around the room, reacting to my power.

This is not your end, Snow.

“Tear of despair, blood of the pure, soul of the damned,” I chant, my veins burning, turning black, magic ripping through me. I slam my hand into Snow’s open palm, gripping it, the fire focusing to a pinpoint, crossing from my hand to hers.

The midnight power travels up her arm, sealing the wound shut, leaving the mark of an apple tree behind. It is a mark of the dark power I’ve used. My inner arm burns, and I know a matching mark is branding itself there. A sign of the power, I can add it to all the rest I conceal with glamours.

I fall back from the tub, breaking the connection, focusing my remaining power to heal the wound that’s now on my arm. I hiss as the brand bubbles black, opening and closing my fist repeatedly, resting against the wall for support.

It takes a moment for Snow’s eyes to open, another for them to sharpen and focus on me.

Another tear slides down my face.

This won’t be your end, Snow.

“A-Azura?” her voice is not as breathy as before, gaining strength with each second.

I can’t answer, not yet. I need to focus on healing myself. My power is waning, the black flames dying, my hair falling limply against my face.

I hear her body hit the floor. She crawls over to me, grabbing my wrist and demanding, “What did you do?!”

I did one good thing in a lifetime of evil.

“I can’t lose you, princess,” I hiss.

My wound seals, a black willow etched in my skin. A permanent reminder of the bond now between us. Snow presses her lips to mine. “I c-can’t lose you e-either.”

“It’s too late. I used too much power.Shewill be coming,” I whisper.

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