The Odd Sisters (Villains 6)

“My Jacob, my love, I am so sorry,” she said as she closed her eyes. She knew what was coming. She tried to brace herself for it. She clutched her daughter so tightly in her arms she thought she might crush her….

Snow White put down the book. “Where is the rest?” The remaining pages were torn from the book of fairy tales. Snow’s heart was racing. She felt like the theory that had sparked in her mind after reading Gothel’s story was coming together with every new thing she read. It was like a puzzle, and each new bit of information was making her theory into a reality.

Don’t jump to conclusions, Snow, she told herself. You don’t know for sure.

She stood up and started pacing around the odd sisters’ little house. It was so strange reading about Manea and Jacob. It made her heart hurt, knowing Manea witnessed her lover’s death. And what became of the child?

But Snow thought she knew even as she asked herself. She knew who the child was, but she wanted to see those missing pages to be sure. She had to tell Circe.

Oh my gods. It all makes sense. All of it. If this is true, then…

She wanted to snatch the mirror up and call Circe at once. To tell her everything. But she didn’t. The last thing she wanted to do was panic her. Not yet. She had to be sure. She needed the missing pages. She needed to know the entire story.

Suddenly, she felt faint. All the air seemed to leave the room at once, and she couldn’t breathe. She needed to leave the house immediately, overcome by an overwhelming urge to flee. She ran to the door and opened it, and to her horror, sitting on the doorstep was a large shining red apple. She screamed.

The thing looked sinister. Wicked. So much like the one her mother had given her years earlier. She slammed the door and screamed, “Show me Circe!” over and over until she heard Circe’s voice coming from the mirror.

Snow! Are you okay?

“No, Circe, I’m not. Please come! I’m so afraid.”

“I don’t understand! Who would do this?” Circe was angry, looking at the ominous apple, still sitting on the doorstep where Snow had left it.

“Calm down, my dear. We won’t let anything happen to Snow, I promise.” Nanny had taken control of the situation. They had both come down from the castle to the odd sisters’ house to check on Snow. The Fairy Godmother had stayed behind to do the rest of the repairs before she and Nanny had to set off to the Fairylands to arrange the fairy council meeting.

Nanny looked around the odd sisters’ house. She wondered what it had been like for Circe to grow up in such a strange place, with its stained glass windows that celebrated her mothers’ foul deeds. One of the windows depicted Snow White’s fateful red apple, shining like a crimson beacon in the sunlight over the front door, and to its right was Ursula’s golden seashell necklace sparkling in the light. And then she saw it, the one that broke her heart: a dragon, encircled by black crows and blowing green flames. Seeing it made her cheeks burn with guilt for the loss of Maleficent. Nanny looked around the room, trying to distract herself from her heartbreak. Some images were unfamiliar to her. She wondered how they were connected to the stories she knew. She recognized the pink rose as the Beast’s but couldn’t quite place some of the other symbols. Looking at Maleficent’s stained glass window again, she remembered.

Her teacup!

“Excuse me, dears,” she said, going to the kitchen. “I’ve always been curious about something.” She p

oked around the odd sisters’ cabinets until she found it. Her teacup. The one the sisters had taken when they visited for Maleficent’s birthday and watched her take her fairy exams. “Ah! I knew it!”

Circe and Snow watched Nanny, puzzled. Why wasn’t she more concerned about the mysterious apple? What was she looking for? “Nanny, what are you up to over there?” Circe asked.

Nanny spun around, her cheeks red. “I’m sorry, dears! I always wondered if your mothers took this teacup from me, and I find that they have. I think I’ll take it back. For safekeeping until we know their menacing purpose.”

Circe nodded. “Understandable. Please feel free,” she said as she cleared her throat and looked at the apple as if to say it was more pressing than sinister teacups.

“Yes, of course you’re right,” Nanny said, turning her attention back to the apple. “It’s harmless,” she said. “I don’t detect an enchantment or poison.”

“Yes! I’ve already surmised that. But who would do this? It’s frightened poor Snow to tears! And don’t you suggest we send her home, Nanny! Not after this!” Circe was on the verge of tears herself.

“No, I quite agree, we need to keep her close so we can protect her.”

“Am I to have no say in what happens to me?” said Snow, picking up the apple and holding it in her hand.

“Of course you do. I’m sorry, Cousin. But why did you try to leave the house? What was the matter?” Circe took Snow’s hand and led her to the little red love seat so they could sit together.

“I don’t know. I was reading a story in the book of fairy tales and I was suddenly overwhelmed. I can’t explain it. I felt like I just had to get out. Like I could claw my way out of here if I had to. I’m sorry I’ve caused such a fuss.”

“You’re not causing a fuss, Snow! You’ve been cooped up in here for ages, and I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“Circe, what would you think if I went to see Mrs. Tiddlebottom while you handled things here with Nanny? It would get me out of here, and I have been worried about her, left to manage Primrose and Hazel on her own. I’m afraid how she will feel once all of her memories come flooding back.”

“What is this about?” asked Nanny.

“My mothers put a memory charm on Gothel’s cook, Mrs. Tiddlebottom, and now that I’ve taken away my mothers’ powers, most of their spells are waning. Snow is afraid Mrs. Tiddlebottom will be overwhelmed once she regains all of her memories.”