The Stepsister Scheme

until the hilt warmed in her fingers. She caught herself before she spoke. This was another game, a taunt to make her react. She opened her hand and backed away. “Snow, what about my son? Can you use him to find Armand, now that we’re inside Fairytown?”
    Snow shook her head. “I already tried. Wherever he is, it’s well shielded.”
    “What about Stacia?” Danielle turned to Sellded the gnome. “Can you try to summon her? With Charlotte helpless, Stacia might be more willing to take us to Armand.”
    “Be careful,” Charlotte said. “Your precious prince swore to kill you if he ever saw you again. He knows you’ll try to take him from me, and he loves me too much to let that happen.”
    “He pities you,” Danielle said. “It’s only your enchantment that makes him pretend to love you.”
    “Love, pity, what does it matter? He’ll still slit your throat if you try to rescue him.”
    Danielle shook her head. “Armand wouldn’t hurt me.”
    “He might,” said Snow. “A love spell like that is as much about possession and jealousy as true affection. The thought of losing Charlotte might be enough to drive him to murder.”
    “Ha!” said Charlotte.
    “She’s lying about sleeping with him, though,” Snow added.
    “How dare you—”
    Arlorran chuckled. “You’re right. Should have noticed that myself.”
    Danielle turned to the gnome. She had suspected Charlotte was lying, but how had they known? “I don’t understand.”
    “Your stepsister is a virgin,” Snow said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. “Virginity can affect various spells, so you learn to spot the signs early on. Poor girl.”
    “It doesn’t matter.” Charlotte was a poor liar. Danielle could hear the pain beneath her venom. “You’ll never see him again.”
    “We’ll see.” Danielle stood. “Arlorran, try to summon Stacia.”
    Arlorran stepped back. “Be ready. Charlotte arrived spitting mad. If Stacia shows up the same way, you’ll want to grab her before she can do any harm.” He shook his head, adding, “Any furniture gets smashed up in the process, I’m holding you responsible.”
    Danielle drew her sword. Talia stayed where she was, her own weapon pointed at Charlotte’s throat. Snow moved to the opposite side of the room, close to Arlorran.
    “Stacia Moors,” Arlorran whispered. He scratched his head through his cap. “Well, blast. I almost had her, but she tightened up her shielding spell there at the end.”
    “We still have Charlotte,” said Talia. “Tell us where to find Armand and your sister, or I’ll turn you over to the fairy queen.” She poked her sword at the fairy mark on Charlotte’s shoulder. “I don’t know how you convinced the troll to help you, but the queen is bound by the treaty. Once we tell her you’ve kidnapped a human prince and brought him to Fairytown, nothing in this world will protect you. Believe me, you don’t want to be on the receiving end of a fairy curse.”
    Charlotte glared at Danielle. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
    “I don’t want you punished,” Danielle said, surprised to realize it was the truth. “I just want you gone from my life.”
    “The fairies, on the other hand, tend to be much more interested in punishment,” said Talia. “Snow, can you contact the fairy queen from here?”
    Snow unclasped her choker and held the front mirror to her face. “Mirror, mirror, how you gleam. Show me now the fairy—”
    “Wait,” said Charlotte.
    Snow closed her hand over the mirror and rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. Gleam and queen don’t really rhyme. But it’s a pretty basic spell, so it doesn’t matter. It’s the flow of the words that counts.”
    Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Idiot,” she muttered. She reached for Danielle, who took her hand without thinking. Talia moved closer. She didn’t speak, but the unwavering tip of her sword made her warning clear.
    “Let him go,” Charlotte said. Her fingers were thin, the skin damp with sweat. Her shoulders trembled, and she refused to look Danielle in the eyes. “You can’t save him. If you try, you’ll only make things worse.”
    “Worse for whom?” Talia asked.
    Charlotte ignored her. “Danielle, I swear on my mother’s grave I’m telling you the truth. Get out of Fairytown.”
    Talia sighed. “Call the queen, Snow.”
    “Wait,” said Danielle. She tried to remember if Charlotte had ever called her by her proper name before. Maybe in the very beginning, before her