The Stepsister Scheme

repeated. A son. Hers and Armand’s.
    “Why do the fairy folk always want human children?” Snow asked. “Do you know how many diapers you’d have to change? And what would you feed him?”
    “Most of us are none too fertile, especially the higher castes,” said Brahkop. “Then there are those who just like the taste. Not me, though. Not enough meat.”
    Snow put a hand on Danielle’s arm. “If he’s telling the truth—”
    Danielle jerked away from Snow’s touch. “You want my child?” she whispered.
    “Afraid so,” said Brahkop. “Hey, if it helps, I’d be happy to let you visit the lad, when he’s older.”
    Danielle grabbed a handful of the troll’s hair and yanked his head down to her level. The tip of her sword poked through the hair. “No,” she whispered. “You helped my stepsisters destroy my mother. Now you’re going to help us find Armand.”
    Brahkop started to shake his head. Danielle thrust her sword forward, eliciting a startled yelp.
    “In exchange,” she went on, “I’m going to let you live.”
    Her hands trembled with fear and rage. The troll was strong enough to snap her in two, but it wasn’t Brahkop she feared. What frightened her was the realization that she meant every word of her threat. She had never wanted to kill anything before, but she would thrust her sword through his throat if she had to.
    “We don’t need him,” Snow whispered.
    Slowly, Danielle turned to face her.
    “I can find Armand.” There was no doubt in her voice.
    “There you go,” said Brahkop. He stepped back, gently tugging his hair from Danielle’s grasp. “Problem solved. We can all relax and—”
    “I want you gone from this place,” Danielle said, keeping her sword pressed against his chest.
    “What’s that?” Brahkop asked.
    “Are you forgetting how you tried to kill the princess of Lorindar with your net?” Danielle moved forward, driving the troll back a step. “Tomorrow morning, I’m sending a battalion of the king’s guards down here with orders to rip apart every last stone of your little lair. This bridge will be broken one stone at a time. The tunnels will be collapsed. Anything left behind will be burned.”
    “You can’t—”
    “That includes yourself,” Danielle finished. By now, Brahkop stood with his back to the wall.
    “I’ll protest to the queen!”
    “Which one?” Snow asked, her voice sweet. “The fairy queen who exiled you, or Queen Beatrice, whose son you helped Charlotte and Stacia to kidnap?”
    Brahkop didn’t answer.
    “Come on, Your Highness,” Talia said, putting a hand on Danielle’s arm. “Our troll friend has a lot of work to do if he’s going to get everything packed up in a day. We should leave him to it. Unless you’re planning to kill him?”
    The calm, matter-of-fact tone of her question helped draw Danielle back from her anger. She could kill Brahkop if she chose, and nobody would stop her. A simple push would drive the blade into his heart.
    Slowly, she shook her head. She refused to taint her mother’s last gift by murdering an unarmed troll, no matter how much he might deserve it. She turned away, still shaken by the intensity of her reactions.
    She had only taken a single step when Talia grabbed her by the arm and wrenched her off-balance. Talia twisted the sword from Danielle’s hand and spun.
    Danielle crashed to the floor. She rolled over to see Talia ducking to the side, avoiding Brahkop’s huge fists. Talia swung the sword. The glass sword cut a deep, dark gash along the troll’s arm, above the elbow.
    Brahkop howled and stumbled back. Talia leaped after him, cutting his other arm at the wrist, then thrusting the sword at his face. Brahkop fell onto the floor, barely avoiding the attack.
    “Wait! I won’t try to stop you, I promise. I’ll leave tonight. My word as a fairy!”
    Talia pressed her heel against Brahkop’s chest. The sword rested against the side of his neck. The hair had fallen away to reveal the pale blue of his throat. Talia didn’t appear to be putting any weight on the sword, but the edge was still sharp enough that blood beaded along the glass.
    “You’re the princess of Lorindar,” said Talia. “It’s your right to decide whether he lives or dies.”
    Danielle pushed herself up. Her elbow throbbed. She would have a nasty bruise from that fall. “He’s bound to keep his word, right?”
    “It’s in their blood,” said Snow.
    Danielle’s body was numb as she turned and walked