The Stepsister Scheme

leathery. Acne scars covered her cheeks and forehead.
    “What do you want?” Danielle asked. She raised her sword and moved toward Talia. Stacia’s eyes narrowed as she eyed the sword. Good. That meant Danielle wasn’t completely powerless.
    “Poor Charlotte,” said Stacia. “Without her dear mother to look after her, the poor wretch was a complete disaster. Lost and desperate. Time and again she and Stacia tried and failed to summon the old bat. Fortunately, I was nearby.” She scowled at Charlotte. “Took them four attempts before they got the spell right. Charlotte is an idiot, but Stacia turned out to be nearly as gifted a student as my own daughter.”
    “Your own... ” Danielle glanced at the glass coffin where Snow lay. “You’re Snow’s mother.”
    “Queen Rose Curtana of Allesandria. And I disowned that wretched girl years ago,” Stacia snapped. “I tried to teach her, to raise her to follow in my own footsteps, and she turned her back on my teachings. She fled, choosing instead to live with that filthy peasant.”
    “Maybe that’s because you ordered her heart cut out of her chest,” Talia said as she reached the edge of the cave. The light from outside turned her into a shadow.
    “I suppose that’s true.” Stacia lifted the mirror she had taken from Snow and studied her reflection. “A shame the pretty one wasn’t strong enough to summon me.”
    Stacia rolled her eyes. “The pretty one would have gotten herself killed the first time she went after Cinderwench, if I hadn’t helped.” A faint change in inflection told Danielle this was truly Stacia speaking now, not Rose. They were both there, though Rose appeared to be the stronger of the two.
    The darkling tried to scurry toward Talia. Danielle stepped to the side, waving her sword to keep it back.
    “You said you were nearby,” Danielle said. The longer she stalled, the more time Talia had to adjust to a body untouched by fairy grace. “I thought Snow killed you.”
    “Ermillina destroyed my body, but she lacked the strength to finish the job. I followed her over the years, hoping to catch her unaware and claim her body for my own. A fitting vengeance, don’t you think?” She drummed her fingers on the edge of the coffin. “Unfortunately, the protective spells she wove with my mirror were too tight to pierce.”
    “Why did you take Armand?”
    Stacia laughed again.
    “To get you,” said Talia. “This whole thing was a trap to lure you to Fairytown.” She grabbed one of the broken vines for balance. “I told you that you’d be better off staying behind.”
    “Why would I care about a filthy servant girl, even one who married into royalty?” asked Stacia. No, not Stacia. This was Rose. “In the beginning, Armand really was the only one we wanted.
    “Without a body, most of my power was stripped from me.” The tilt of her head was different, more regal, and she spoke with a faint accent. “Age will soon take my daughter’s beauty, and in this land she’s little better than a peasant anyway. So I thought, what better host than the heir to the kingdom? Armand would father a child on this body, and I would grow up to claim this land for my own. Neither Brahkop nor Stacia were thrilled by the idea, but I was able to... persuade them.”
    Danielle turned to Charlotte. “You said Armand was enchanted to love you, not Stacia.”
    Charlotte turned away, but not before Danielle saw the tears in her eyes.
    “Her?” Stacia laughed again. “Why would I choose such a weak mother? Stacia’s gift would flow through my child’s blood, making me that much stronger. Charlotte tried to prove herself by killing you. Fortunately for us all, Charlotte’s attempt on your life was a miserable failure. And then my dear husband was kind enough to tell us of your news.” She smiled and stepped toward Danielle, one hand reaching for her stomach. “You have no idea how delightful it was to learn I was going to be an aunt.”
    Danielle raised her sword. She didn’t know what she would do if Stacia kept coming, but something on her face must have convinced her not to try. Stacia backed down.
    She walked to Brahkop and ran her fingers through his hair. “Why settle for a royal bastard when I can take the true scion of Prince Armand and Princess Danielle? Everybody wins. I have the rightful heir, and Brahkop doesn’t have to endure the thought of your husband having his way with this body.”
    Danielle shook her head. “Beatrice