Page 70 of Snow White

Maleficent grabs a spell I throw at her and links with me. She uses the open line to suck the life and power from me, taking everything I have. All the dark magic I have accumulated over six hundred years of life is sucked from me. I feel my skin tighten, wither, and dry.

I drop to my knees. My bones shatter from the impact, and I know nothing more.

Chapter Forty-Four

Snow

This cruel, vindictive bitch is Azura’s mother? She will die for everything she has done to Azura. She better pray that my woman is all right because when I’m done with her, she won’t know what hit her.

Maleficent licks her lips, tilting her lizard-like head at me. “I’ll be taking that power now.”

I gulp, twisting the sword in my hands. “You won’t be getting anything.”

“I take what I please.” Maleficent smirks and flicks her fingers. Azura’s body twists and crumples to the floor. I scream, the windows shattering from the force of my grief. No! No, no, no, no! This can’t be possible. She can’t be dead. She can’t be gone. No!

There is a hole in my chest where happiness and joy once thrived. The spot in my heart for Azura is now an empty void that will never be filled again.

Maleficent laughs and lifts her hands above her head, summoning an enormous ball of dark green smoke. I fight the tears that threaten to pour down my face before rolling away and moving behind a column. She throws the ball, and I scream as the top of the column shatters, raining debris down on my head. I don’t have time to react as she throws another, obliterating the wall beside me. I crouch, getting myself lower to the ground and throwing up an ice shield to protect myself from the next onslaught of attacks.

“Oh, gods. Oh, gods,” I hiss.

“Snow, you must fight!” the blue pixie yells in my head. The next volley of dark energy hits the column and breaks through my ice, but a blue shield forms around me, protecting my body from harm. I feel the energy of the blue pixie dim, and I choke back a sob.

“Fight…” the fairy whispers before her voice is silenced.

I spin around and come face to face with a dragon. Her black scales glimmer in the torchlight, a hint of green glowing from beneath them. How am I going to defeat this? My powers seem to be growing weaker by the second. I need more time to think and look around, searching for somewhere to hide. My gaze catches on the stairs, and I bolt for them. Maleficent roars, and I cover my ears, muffling the deafening sound. The dragon lifts her hand, breaking the top of the stairs into a thousand pieces. A green light radiates from the gap, filling the walkway as I push forward.

“Be strong…” the green pixie whispers before fading away. Her power is ripped from me, but I can’t stop to mourn her loss, not until the battle is over. I run across the second floor of the castle, my mind still swirling. I turn around for a moment, shooting frozen shards from my palms, but they do little damage to the dragon. She must have protection against my magic. The sword will be the only thing that can kill her.

“Come on,” I whisper to myself, sweat dripping down my back. I focus on the dragon’s back. If I can just get on her, then I can thrust the sword into the back of her neck. I spot the curtain and take a deep breath. Pink wings form on my back as I start running, pushing me faster and harder. I outpace the dragon snapping at my heels as the pink pixie calls, “For love!” I feel her power dim and then disappear.

“Swift as the sun,” the yellow pixie whispers in my mind. I jump onto the curtain and swing forward, landing on the dragon’s back. Maleficent’s roar echoes through the room, the castle trembling and stone falling. She shakes her body, trying to throw me off. I hold on, my palms bleeding from gripping the sharp scales.

“We believe in you,” the yellow pixie whispers before fading away.

I huff out a breath, lifting my sword up and slamming it down on her scales. It is useless. They are too strong and thick. Maleficent throws her head back, and I slip off, slamming hard onto the ground. An orange aura glows around me, and my body slowly mends itself, my breathing steadying.

“Love is strong,” the orange pixie whispers before vanishing.

Tears blur my vision, but I wipe them away impatiently. I don’t have time for tears. I have to keep fighting so that their sacrifice is not in vain and to avenge the love of my life. I watch the dragon prepare to blow fire.

As she inhales, filling her lungs, my eyes fall on her chest. I need a soft spot. I need to hit her heart.

“One chance,” the red pixie whispers in my ear, my sword glowing red as all the power transfers from me to it. “Aim true.”

The dragon roars, her head up. Green flame licks the ceiling, and I roll my shoulders. This is my last chance.

I lift the sword over my head before swinging it forward with all my strength. I watch as it sinks deep into Maleficent’s chest. Green blood spurts from her, and she screams in agony. She strikes out, raking her claws forward, slashing my stomach. I fall back onto my ass, my crimson blood staining the marble floor. Black flames crawl up Maleficent’s dragon form, consuming her as she wails. I watch as her body slowly evaporates into dust. The only sound left is me gasping for breath.

I lay back on the ground, cold, sticky blood surrounding me. I choke back a sob as I lift my arm to look at my tattoo. A single purple apple gleams on the formerly barren tree, and my eyes widen. The pain slowly starts to subside, and I sit up, watching my wound knit itself closed.

“Azura,” I whisper. I spin around, looking for her, but there is nothing left but her withering corpse. My scream is filled with agony, losing her a second time nearly unbearable. I crawl to her body. “No, no, no, no. Get up! Azura! My love!”

I lift her, cradling her close as tears roll down my cheeks, landing on her face. I create a blanket of snow around us, trying to soothe her and bring her back. “Azura! Azura! Please come back to me! Please! I love you!”

Black flames burst around me, climbing the walls and consuming the castle. What’s left of Azura turns to dust in my arms, her ashes mixing with the snow on the ground.

“No! No, no, no!” I sob. “Come back!”

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