Red Hood's Revenge

“She’s fighting that thing. Kill her and you free it to do whatever it pleases.”
    “Talia!” Danielle kicked the bakehouse door shut and drew her sword. “Behind you!”
    Talia spun, knife held high. The moment she spotted the streak of red racing across the courtyard, she threw. Roudette dodged, which slowed her enough for a pair of guards to close in.
    They died before Talia could warn them. Roudette’s hammer struck the first guard in the throat. The second thrust his sword, which Roudette deflected with her cape before flinging him to the ground and slamming the hammer into the center of his back.
    Danielle screamed, the sound cutting through the chaos like an ax. Throughout the courtyard, faces turned and guards raced to protect their princess. Danielle raised her glass blade in both hands and flashed a smile at Talia. “You were right. Screaming works.”
    Talia ran at Roudette, only to leap back as Charlotte sent another bolt of fire through the air. The flames seared her face as they crackled toward Roudette, who ducked behind her cape. The fire sparked and spread but appeared unable to penetrate the cape. That didn’t stop Charlotte, who continued to pour fire at Roudette. Grass blackened and burned. The air rippled as Roudette continued forward.
    “Where can I get one of those?” Talia muttered. She kept low, trying to watch Roudette and Charlotte both. Roudette seemed more interested in Talia than Charlotte, despite the flames crackling against her cape. Talia waited until Roudette was nearly upon her, then flung her knife straight up at Roudette’s face.
    The blade tore Roudette’s cheek and ear. Talia jumped forward and grabbed Roudette’s wrist. She slammed a knee into Roudette’s forearm, trying to break her grip on her weapon.
    Roudette swung her other arm, clubbing Talia in the back. It was like being struck with a tree. Talia dropped and rolled away, trying to stay clear of that hammer.
    Snow was busy fighting Charlotte’s magic. Danielle readied her sword and stepped forward to guard Snow’s back. Her stance was good, but if Roudette reached her, she would rip Danielle apart as easily as she had the guards.
    Sweeping her cape back with one hand, Roudette pulled a small red dart from her belt and threw. She turned back just in time to meet Talia’s charge. They crashed to the ground together, each grabbing the other’s wrist.
    From the edge of her vision, Talia saw Charlotte drop to her knees. A spot of red protruded from her throat. “Snow! That dart will be poisoned!”
    Roudette’s grip squeezed the knife from Talia’s hand. Her strength was far beyond human. Talia brought her forehead down to bloody Roudette’s nose, but Roudette simply tossed her aside.
    Roudette rose slowly, glancing about to take in the guards who had spread out to surround them. Not even the Lady of the Red Hood could dodge a dozen cross-bow bolts fired at such close range.
    “Charlotte!” Danielle tried to approach her stepsister, but the flames burst outward, pushing her back.
    “You’re too late,” Roudette whispered. “Already she feels the poison burning through her veins, her heart hardening, her lungs collapsing. Her vision constricts, and her hope dies.”
    Fire leaped from Charlotte’s arms, tearing through the grass to encircle them. The guards jumped back. Roudette smiled, her face bloody but triumphant.
    Snow turned around, looking at the fire. “This is not good.”
    The flames grew higher, obscuring everything beyond. Black smoke rose overhead, blocking out the sun. Talia could hear shouts from the other side of the fire, guards warning everyone to stand clear and calling for water, Prince Jakob yelling for his mother. They sounded far away, their words becoming fainter with every passing heartbeat.
    The world lurched, and for the second time that day, Talia felt herself falling into the earth.
     
    Snow might have admired the artistry of the fairy ring if not for the fact that she had no idea where it was taking them. Beside her, Danielle was doubled over, clutching her stomach with one hand. Talia and Roudette were still fighting, though far less effectively than before. Even Talia had a hard time keeping her balance while plummeting between worlds.
    “Stay back from the edge,” Snow warned. She sensed powerful magic, the waves buffeting her as strongly as the heat of the fire, but no life. The sprite must have destroyed itself to create this ring. “Be still and let me