As soon as Bianca climbed down the last step and entered the chamber, right in front of her was a woman so old that she looked like a hag. Bianca's eyes became wide.

Sedora was standing right in front of her, seeing her with dull black eyes that were full of madness.

​​

Bianca knew that Sedora could see her. The two got locked in a staring game.

Wrinkles had battered Sedora's face beyond recognition. Dirty gray hair fell on her shoulders in thin strands. The nose appeared knotted and twisted. There was blood around her lips. She was wearing a long black gown over which there was a blood stained apron. Scissors, scalpel, tiny limbs of bats and other creatures and yellow stones filled the pockets of the apron.

There were holes carved in the stones of the chamber. White icy smoke emerged from inside those holes. The ceiling of the chamber was very high and Bianca scanned it with abhorrence. Sedora was not insane, she was a demon.

And right behind her was a large oval shaped mirror, which was framed with bones that jutted out like spikes. In that mirror, Bianca could see the Shadows fighting with the spirits or the spirits slaying the Shadows. She caught a glimpse of her father.

"Dobrosli!" Sedora welcomed as a large grin spread on her face.

Bianca didn't answer. She loathed her. So this was the woman who wanted to kill her sons and daughter-in-law and her grandchildren? Bianca growled.

"Trebalo ti je dugo dodes…" Sedora hissed. And as she said those words, more blood flowed out of her mouth.

"I am not late. I just killed your Shadows… enjoyed killing them. I was keen to meet you Sedora," said Bianca as she brought her sword in the front and pointed it at her. She took a step forward.

Sedora took a step back. She cackled. "I have many more!"

"From what I can see, you don't have any left! Because if you had more, you wouldn't be creating them while the war is ongoing on the outside."

Sedora stared at her and then suddenly started laughing loud showing her dirty yellow blood stained teeth. "You are more intelligent than I guessed." She backed a little more.

The Cadvals came to Bianca's side as they also flashed their swords at her.

Bianca realized that the more Sedora spoke the ancient language, the more she bled. That meant one thing—her body was not able to sustain her dark magic. It was hurting her a lot but the woman was ready for the pain.

"If you join me," said Sedora looking at her soul greedily, "Then we will become a power so intense that we will be beyond control! The world of Lore and the human realm will be ours!"

"I stā onda?" she asked. She was provoking her to speak the ancient language.

"Then? Then will be the queens! We will rule the world!" She raised her hands and beckoned Bianca with a finger. "Spoji se u meni!"

Suddenly Bianca felt a strange pull towards Sedora. It was a call—a call for her to merge her soul with Sedora. It was so luring. Power thrummed in that call. Bianca felt as if she was going to be the most satisfied, most happy and powerful being in the world. The throne called her.

"Spoji se u meni!" Sedora hissed that as a chant while stepping back more. "Cekao sam te…"

Bianca's eyes became wide. She was entranced. Magic was working one her. She didn't want to fight it. She wanted to merge in Sedora. She wanted to merge in that darkness. Her concentration wavered. Her sword fell to her side and her jaw slackened.

"My queen!" The Cadval on the right hissed at her. "You can't give in to her magic!"

Suddenly white beams crackled out of her fingers and hit the Cadval. He shrieked before his smoky self disappeared into painful oblivion.

However, his shriek didn't have any effect on Bianca. She continued to look at Sedora. Sedora's face lit up. Her lips curled into a smile. "Aa Bianca, pridi mi," she said with more blood flowing out.

Could she actually become so powerful?

"Napravicú te kraljicom." Sedora walked back, luring her away from the remaining Cadval. "I will make you the queen."

"But how will I become the queen?" she asked softly.

"You won't my queen. She wants you to merge your soul in her body. You are young and powerful. The moment you merge your soul into hers, she will rise as the most powerful dark queen and you will be gone forever because after that—" warned the other Cadval.

White beams crackled from Sedora's fingers to hit the Cadval, but he dodged and the beams hit the wall behind him.

Bianca heard him screaming at her. She wanted to give in to this lure. It was so comforting.

"My queen, wake up!" the Cadval shouted. "You can't merge with her body." He dodged another beam. This time he went towards the door from where they had entered to call the spirits.

"Don't listen to him Biancaaaa," Sedora whispered. She took another step back. She gestured to her with her fingers to come closer.

"Bianca!" The Cadval yelled. "If you merge with her, she will never release us. Do you realize what is going to happen?" He didn't see any reaction from Bianca. "This sorceress is going to become the queen of this world and the world of spirits!" He called the spirits from above to join him. And they came like a sea of white foam. They gathered behind him.

Bianca smiled at Sedora. All her anxieties, her tension, her apprehensions and her pain—everything subsided. To submit to Sedora, to merge with her was the most beautiful thing that she could ever imagine. It was a call of the blood. It was where she always belonged. She had to go to her. She had to become one with Sedora.

"My queen," the Cadval gave her a shout. "She will kill your body as soon as you merge with her. Don't you understand?"

---

On the outside, the kings had gathered the Shadows in a circle. As the spirits started to bind them in a circle, Caleb and Daryn started to make symbols around them. As they chanted, yellow, fiery symbols appeared in the air. They drew three circles around the Shadows with trident in them. They chanted ancient language and the symbols floated over the tridents. The tridents began to shake. The symbols clung on to the tridents and pulled them out of the ground. The three tridents floated in the air with red and yellow fiery symbols on them. They hovered in the air for some time and then pointed at the Shadows.

"Move out!" Daryn bellowed.

Lazarus and Caleb moved back along with the spirits.

As if like electricity, the tridents advanced towards the Shadows and within a few minutes they sliced and burnt each and every one of them.

Caleb and Daryn raised their hands to bring the tridents back to the ground.

"My king!" One of the dwarves came running to Daryn. "The queen needs your help!"

Daryn's mind froze. He mounted his horse and galloped to where the dwarf directed him. Behind him Lazarus and Caleb followed.

"Bianca…" he tried to communicate with her mentally. But there was no answer.