Page 67 of Snow White

He growls, skidding to such a hard stop that he tosses me off his back. I land face-first into a pile of dirt, groaning as pain explodes in my nose.

“This is not the agreement,” the Beast growls, turning back into a human.

I sit up, looking out at the forest. “Something is calling for me.”

He growls deep in his chest. “If you stay, I will consider this fulfilled.”

I look him up and down, thinking about this for a moment. He was the only person who could lead me to Azura. Yet, my instincts are telling me to go to them. I will find Azura another way.

“I understand,” I murmur.

The man looks around before growling again. “Farewell, Princess Snow.”

He transforms back into a wolf before running back the way we came. I stare after him for a couple of minutes before standing up. A giggle comes from behind the trees, and I spin on my heel, trying to locate the source of the sound.

Another fae to use their magic against me?No, the energy in the air feels different. It feels… friendly?

“He’ll be back. She kept him as a Beast,” one of the voices sings.

“Who’s there?” I gulp.

“Hello, little fae,” a small figure hums, floating forward. Several others followed her.Pixies.They have sharp noses, pointed ears, and tiny wings attached to their small bodies. Small bodies flap their tiny wings. Each of the seven is a different color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, pink, blue, and violet. They are a subspecies of fairies known for their tricks and cunning, but the aura around these seven feels different.

I blink a few times. “Fae? No, no, I’m very human.”

“Only part. You are the Vessel for the Ice Elemental. Just as your escort was the Vessel for the Beast Elemental,” the orange pixie sings.

“The Beast?” I blink. That would make sense. How else would a man turn into an animal at will?

“Yes,” the violet one says.

“You think he just discovered the ability randomly?” the green one hums.

“Or your ice ability?” the red winks.

I look down at my hands. “I’ve always had them, but Eric—”

“He is the Vessel for one of the oldest and most powerful elementals. The Water Elemental,” the blue says, cutting me off.

“He didn’t always have the power, though, did he?” I whisper, piecing everything together.

“He only inherited it after its previous Vessel passed on,” the blue pixie replies.

“Your mother.” The yellow sighs and my heart clenches in my chest. I knew this. She would always show me her tricks. She would take us out to the sea, and we would watch the sunset. It made the world feel magical. Then she died, and everything went bland.

“Why did they choose us?” I ask.

“We do not know how Vessels are chosen,” the green one says.

“Only that they are,” the pink adds.

I frown for a moment. “Then what about Azura?”

They all freeze for a moment before the yellow pixie says, “She practices dark magic.”

“At a terrible cost,” the green adds.

“Can I save her?” I ask, my throat tightening.

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