Mistress of All Evil (Villains 4)

“Welcome to the land of dreams, little one,” the second one chimed in.

“Yes, we have been searching for you,” the third one added.

“Maleficent will be happy we found you,” all three said in unison. At that, the sister witches began to cackle, their laughter sending chills through Aurora’s heart.

As Nanny and Circe watched Maleficent draw nearer to Morningstar Kingdom, Nanny’s thoughts drifted to places long forgotten. The distant places she’d previously preferred to keep locked away in the deep recesses of her mind. But something inexplicable was happening. The closer the Dark Fairy got to Morningstar Castle, the more Nanny began to remember. It was a painful process, because the memories weren’t just her own; they were Maleficent’s, as well. And

in that moment, Nanny resented having the ability to read minds and to feel her loved ones’ emotions. She almost wished for the days when she thought she was just Tulip’s nanny, unaware of her powers or her past, or the great love she had for Maleficent. But rather than fighting the memories, she succumbed to them. She let them wash over her like a torrent of half-remembered dreams. And she opened her mind to Circe, sharing her thoughts.

Maleficent had been born in the Fairylands, in the hollow of a tree filled with screeching crows. She was little and defenseless, and she seemed to be made up entirely of sharp edges. Her features were pointy and her skin had a milky-green pallor. Terrible nubby horns were starting to emerge from her bony little head. Nothing about her was right. Nothing at all.

All the fairies feared her, because they found her appearance disturbing. They’d left her there in that tree, alone, for no one knew who had abandoned her there. If her parents hadn’t wanted her, then surely the fairies didn’t, either. For all they knew, she was actually an ogre. Or something too vile for even the likes of ogres. Besides, she didn’t have wings or pleasant features. And there was a distinct air of evil about her, so clearly she couldn’t be a fairy. No, she wasn’t a fairy at all. At least, that was what the fairies told themselves, to console themselves when they stayed up late at night, wondering if they’d done the right thing by leaving the defenseless little creature in the hollow of an old tree.

Whatever her origins, she belonged to the crows. The crows will care for her, the fairies told themselves. She must have been born of their magic.

After all, everyone knew crows were evil.

The fairies called her Maleficent. They had named her after Saturn, because of its unfavorable influence, and after Mars, a malicious god known to cause destruction and war. For that was what the fairies saw in her future: malice, devastation, and conflict.

So the crows cared for her. They brought her food from the tables of other fairies. Sometimes they even took clothes off drying lines so that she would have something to wear. The clothes smelled of sunshine and flowers. They were warm from the sun and soft on her small frame.

And so it went until Nanny, the One of Legends came home to the Fairylands. She had come to take her place once again as headmistress of the Fairy Academy.

It was twilight when the One of Legends arrived in the Fairylands. Her light blue eyes sparkled and her silver hair fell to her shoulders in loose curls. The sunset was a deep purple, with brilliant wisps of pink and orange streaking the sky. Already the stars were visible, and they seemed to twinkle more brightly when the One of Legends was near.

The One of Legends smiled, happy to be home again. But her smile faltered as she spied the young fairy crouched in the hollow tree. Maleficent was four by that time and still all sharp edges. She was nothing like the round little fairies that flitted around the Fairylands like fluffy bumblebees pollinating the flowers with glittering magic. To the other fairies, Maleficent looked ill. She was too skinny, too green, and far too pinched-faced. And her horns—those horrible horns—made her look more evil than anything else. But the One of Legends saw something others didn’t see. She saw a lost little girl who needed love.

“What are you doing in this tree, child? Where are your parents?” the One of Legends asked.

The little girl didn’t answer. She wasn’t used to speaking to anyone other than her crows. In fact, she was almost certain that this was the first time someone had ever spoken directly to her. Though the woman’s face was kind, Maleficent wasn’t used to anyone making eye contact with her. She certainly didn’t expect to see a pleasant expression when someone looked upon her. Usually, the fairies wrinkled their noses at her—when they bothered to look at her at all.

“Speak, child! Who are you?” Nanny inquired.

Maleficent tried to speak, but she couldn’t. The only sound that came from her lips was a terrible screech that reminded Nanny of a hoarse crow.

My goodness, this poor girl has never used her voice. Not once. Not even to cry. The realization broke Nanny’s heart.

Maleficent wasn’t sure if she even had a voice. Her crows spoke to her in their own way, and they understood her without her having to talk.

The One of Legends understood the problem. With a wave of her hand, she gave the small green fairy the courage to find her voice.

“Now speak, dear,” she said encouragingly.

“Hell…o.”

Maleficent’s voice sounded like the croak of a frog, scratchy and strained. But she had spoken for the first time! It was frightening and exciting at once.

“Well, that’s a start, isn’t it, my dear? And what’s your name?”

“They…they call me…Maleficent.”

“Who, dear, the crows? Who calls you Maleficent?”

Maleficent shook her head slowly. “The fairies.”

“Do they, now?” Nanny knew exactly why her sister and the other fairies had named the child Maleficent. It sent a hot surge of anger coursing through her body. Nanny tried not to let it register on her face as she smiled down at the little girl.

“And why, may I ask, are you here all alone?” Nanny continued. “Where are your parents? I will have quite a thing or two to say to them for leaving such a little fairy alone in the cold with no one but crows for company!”