"Oh mother please!" A voice giggles madly, "Just a bite."

"No," Alcina's familiar voice replies firmly, "She doesn't have any flesh to spare, quite obviously. I will not find a bite, big or small, on her anywhere."

"Yes mother," Three voices echo with notable disappointment.

"Oh you piece of-" Natalya fumbles to rip the blindfold away from her eyes. Blurry images come back along with a throbbing at the corner of her hairline. Wincing slightly she manages a convincing scowl.

Three bloodstained faces stare back at her.

Natalya frowns, "Oh god what did she do to you?"

"Before you further embarrass yourself, these are my daughters," Alcina says, towering over the mortal sized young women, "Cassandra, Bela, and Daniela."

Just given a precursory glance Natalya is accurate, "Sadisitic and insane. Seems to run in the family."

"Bite your tongue."

"Do it yourself, you're the goddamn vampire. Isn't that your specialty?"

With her claws bared and pressed against Natalya's throat the countess can't conceive why this human isn't afraid. Usually mortals reek of fear. She reeks from not bathing.

"Cut her," Cassandra breathes, "Let us have a taste."

Alcina's golden eyes burn but Natalya is fireproof. She cocks her head, "I can't feel fear. But even if I could I wouldn't be scared of you. You're just a well armed, overdressed bitch-"

"Don't say that about my mother!" Daniela grabs Natalya by the head.

Alcina retracts her claws. She looks at Natalya and then at her daughters. By now Natalya is fully infected with the mold. She's been eating their food and breathing the stale air in the Beneviento mansion for months. After having consumed some of Winter's blood she doubts getting another vile mouthful is worth risking that this mortal might taste much better.

"I had intended to use you to torment Donna but you're proving to be more trouble than you're worth. Daughters, she is your plaything. Don't kill her too quickly."

As darkness descended upon castle Dimitrescu so did Donna.

The heiress didn't knock at the front door, the trees on either side ripped the door off its hinges and let it crash to the floor. Creeping vines and trees scrape and crawl their way across the floor at Donna's heels. As always Angie is in Donna's hands.

"Alci!" Angie cackles, "Come out and play!"

Donna has made her way from the entry, down the halls and through several rooms. In her wake the carpet is ruined, paintings and decorations are ripped from the walls by the tree's branches. The stone and wooden floor is left in a state as well.

By the time Alcina finds Donna she's also found the mess.

"Donna!"

"Give me, Natalya back."

"You've made a mess of my floor, ripped the door off of my castle-"

"Give me Natalya!"

Donna's voice booms through the castle. Her hands shake and the trees behind her shuffle closer.

It quickly dawns on Alcina this isn't a joke. This isn't Miranda's doing. Donna has brought this havoc and these trees herself. It then stands to reason that the trees and other plants all around the castle and in the courtyards and gardens could tear the stone walls down. She might survive being crushed, but the girls would be turned to statues and shattered.

"Cassandra is playing with her."

A tight fist closes around Donna's heart. She gasps and growls, "Give her, to me. Now."

"Cassandra!"

The oldest sister appears, "Yes mother?"

"Where is your new plaything?"

"In the cellar."

"Bring it here."

The last thing Natalya remembers is her mind mercifully fainting from the pain. For hours she's lapsed in and out of consciousness. While she cannot faint from fear, survival instincts will eventually block out the pain.

Now she's lying on a soft bed. The roar of the waterfall is familiar. For a moment she wonders if it was all a twisted nightmare. Lifting her hand it's stiff. Her fingers are taped between tongue depressors and breathing causes a crunchy sensation in her chest.

No, it was all real.

As her eyes focus Natalya realizes she's in bed. Donna's bed. And the Beneviento woman is asleep laying in Natalya's lap. Her veil is set aside and she has dark circles under her eye. Yet, she seems very content. Natalya doesn't dare wake her. Whatever happened, she's going to enjoy being back where she belongs.

High in the mountains in Miranda's lab she finishes a lengthy phone conversation with the countess. In reality she mostly listened to Alcina complain and shriek about Donna's newfound power.

Mia looks at the priestess, "Why?" She knows by now everything Miranda does is strategic.

Miranda smirks, "Donna needed a push. I had to go to extremes. She could manipulate the smaller plants. I always wondered if her powers could or would ever grow. Now I have my answer."

"So now what?" Mia murmurs.

"I leave them be for a little bit. Then," Miranda's grin is wicked, "I push her farther."