”I’ve broken people like you before.”

He was hired by the king. Of course he had crushed people like her. It was what people like him did for entertainment. Sasha held the ball off energy. It hurt in her stomach. She was restraining herself and looked down to the ground, feign submission.

”What gave you the biggest kick? That you could do it, or the fear you saw in their eyes when you broke them?”

The man had been about to turn away, he would have let her go, but now his eyes scrutinised her. They were wandering from her bowed head to her feet. Sasha was looking at the tip of his sword, now stuck against her bare feet.

”Who said anything about enjoying it?”

Sasha swept away her coat. She laid her hands on the bare hilt of his sword. Before he had the time to react she had taken half a step forward. She had to tilt her head upwards to meet his eyes. They were the most yellow colour she had ever seen, and so close she could see his inner iris shine in greenish.

”I said”, she answered and pushed the energy she had kept still inside her out of her palm. She melted the sword in front of her. The magic poured out of her. The man ought to recoil, cover his burned hand, she had counted on it. Instead he pulled his arms around her waist and lifted her upwards. Where the sword hit her stomach she felt the warmth of it. It stung.

”Fear”, he whispered in her ear, the air breezing her chin. “I do it for the kick of fear.”

”Say my hello to the king.” She forced her body backwards, to create a gap between herself and the man. The swords still glowed like red magma burning her skin, the man in front of her not even noticing. ”I will come after him”, a small smile formed in the corner of her mouth. ”Ask him if he remember what fear feels like.”

”Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Sasha had enough of playing. He was a rat. It was time to stop this. She wriggled in his hold. The sword dropped to the ground, the sound hollow. Around the man a lilac shimmer started to spread, with its centre coming from Sasha’s hand. Sasha licked her lips, drawing out his essence with her magic. It was an unusual strong colour, the purple almost black. She bent her head backwards, and with one smooth movement she forced forward, releasing the entire pint up energy and knocked him.

He fell to the ground without even getting the time to put up his hands to defend himself. Sasha laughed wholeheartedly. It poured out of her from the anger being released. She bent down and put her hand around a purple ball in front of the man.

”You shouldn’t play with the face of stone, you cute yellow kitten.” She stroked the man over the chin. They had warned her of this man. She couldn’t understand why. It was an exceptionally beautiful orb.

The orb fitted her hand. Normally Sasha would have traded it by now. Still she just stood there, in her mother’s kitchen, looking at it and playing with it. They needed this, had waited a long time for a ball with this intensity. She forced the light inside of her body, the orb disappearing from sight.

”Any news about my sister?” she asked Ella.

”Isaak found her.” Ella pointed for Sasha to sit down. She waited patiently for Sasha to meet her eyes again. ”The king has her.”

Everything collided in front of Sasha, the air left her lungs and her vision became black. Her mother took her hand in hers.

”She is inside of the walls.”

”I will walk in and get her home.” Sasha was about to stand up and leave, but Ella pressed firmer on her hand.

”Wait Sasha, there are more to it.”

”More! I can’t take more!” She clenched her fists. He had taken her second half. He had taken Ivy.

”You have always been hot-headed.”

”She’s my sister, and you know him. You know what he does.” Sasha spitted out the words, fury tearing her from the inside.

”I can promise you Sasha, on everything this side of the forest, that he will not touch her.”

Sasha shoulders sank at that, and she sat still. Ella never promised anything, and when she did. She looked at her mother. Not knowing if this was good or bad news.

”Tell me.”

“This is a story I would have told you long ago.” A heavy sight let go of Ella. Her eyes were worried when they met hers. “It was twenty-four years ago, the queen was about to give birth. I wouldn’t like her to come, but the king insisted. I had a reputation of never losing a child. So they came. To this side of the forest, to my simple cottage.”

”They came here?”

”I said it was the orbs protecting the cottage, that it was nothing magical with me at all, but they wouldn’t listened. Sasha, I did everything in my power to keep them from coming. But they came.”

”So he owes you?”

”For old friendship? No Sasha, that’s not it.” Ella smiled, but it never reached her eyes. ”No Sasha, I switched you. I put my own son, just days old, in the arms of the queen and I hide you and your sister.”

Sasha didn’t move an inch, she didn’t even blink. She tried to process what Ella had said. She couldn’t fathom it, and her words came slow, full of distrust.

”My father?”

”Yes Sasha.”

”He can’t be. He just can’t.”

Ella patted her hand. She swallowed hard but her eyes wouldn’t meet hers. They were fixated on their entangled hands, softly stroking her.

“You were so small, and it was so easily done. I”, her mother sighed, not knowing how to continue.

“Why?”

”The king takes all the boys when they are five. I had lost him anyway. This way I know he would be protected.”

“But that not all, is it mother?”

“No. That’s not all.”

Her eyes met hers then. Grey clouds against the storm of the ocean in hers. Her mother searched something in her eyes. Sasha didn’t know if she found it.

“You want me to kill my own father?”

Sasha took away her hands. She hated the king. Everyone did, but he was... No, she couldn’t even think about it. He had her sister. He was a monster. He was not, and would never be, her father.

“No one else will ever be strong enough Sasha. I did what I thought was the best.”

“And why would the king spare her? How could he possible know who Ivy is?”

“She is a copy of the queen Sasha. He will know.”

“And when she tells who her mother is…”

Sasha stood up. She threw her fist hard into the wall. Dust whirled around in the room.

“He will send someone over. They will punish you mother!”

”No one except you and Ivy could punish me Sasha.”

“We must leave. Immediately.”

She couldn’t take all in now. She had o process it. What she did know was that the king was not forgiving. Ella shook her head.

”It’s already too late.”

They didn’t knock on the door. They stormed in, and they were armed.

Ella sat still. She didn’t even move a finger. She just smiled a knowing smile. They were three of them, three men and their swords were drawn. The old wooden door had almost fallen off its hinges.

”You!” said one of the men and involuntary moved his head back when he got sight of Sasha.

Sasha recognised the man, his yellow eyes and white hair. He was the owner of her new toy.

“You”, said Sasha, as she started to collect her magic in a big swirl. The yellow kitten meant problem.

“You”, said Ella much slower, with an eerie calmness in her voice. “They send you.” She chuckled.

Sasha looked from her mother to the intruder. Her mother couldn’t stop giggling.

”What are you doing here?” Sasha asked. ”I’ve already traded the orb. Got myself a nice price”, she said and took up a golden necklace. A specific golden chain that has been laying here on her bench, belonging to someone they would never dare to go after. No one did.

“Sasha!” her mother said and slapped her hand. The golden chain clinked when it bumped towards the fireplace and finally fell to the floor.

The man Sasha had met just hours ago didn’t even look at the necklace. He shook his head, his eyes fixated on Sasha.

“We were only coming for her”, he said, pointing with his sword towards Ella, “but I think I have changed my mind.”

His smile was arrogant. So sure he had the upper hand.

”You have no use of a simple apprentice. Let her go”, Ella said.

Sasha calculated her odds. They were three, and she had to take Ella into account. She clenched her fist.

“I can teach her to become a warrior”, the man said.

He closed in on Sasha while the two other stood prepared, their hands cramping their swords and their eyes wandering between her and Ella. He moved around her, all the time on an arm’s length. Sasha gave him her evil eye. They were still too close to Ella.

“I can teach you to appreciate the feeling of fear”, he said and there was amusement in his yellow eyes.

“It will be hard to travel with the old one all the way back. I vote for finishing this off now”, one of his companions interrupted. “Not worth it.”

The man closest to the door, too tall to really fit in the small cabin, and no real threat to Ella, lifted his sword. The man in front of Sasha just lifted his hand, a small gesture pointing downwards and the men put down their swords.

“I will take care of the old one myself.” He bent down to the floor and took up the golden necklace. He weighted it in his hand and studied Sasha. “You want this back?”

Sasha reached out for the necklace he dangled in front of her. As soon as she snapped it she felt the edge of his knife against her throat. She hissed. She had expected an ambush, still he had taken her by surprise. She flushed, her chin turning pink with embarrassment.

“I think I keep the necklace. Now, you rise nice and slowly.”

Sasha stood up, she looked from the three men to her mother. Ella nodded slightly, a small nod, not visible by the others. Sasha closed her eyes and inhaled.

“I will kill you”, she said.

“I am sure you will”, the man chuckled, moving behind her and keeping the knife pressed towards her throat. He pushed her towards the door.

“You two, take this woman outside. I will take care of the rest.” He pushed Sasha outside. “And don’t make the mistake of letting her fool you.”

Outside the sun shone. The birds were doing their business catching food. Nothing did tell that the kings knights where there. As soon as the man had pushed Sasha outside she had turned around, bending down to get hold of the knife she had. Had she been wise she would have run, but she couldn’t leave Ella.

“What’s your business here?” Sasha asked and easily dodged the knight’s arms. She swirled out of their hold. She had to get inside again.

The two men draw their swords, and circled around Sasha. They were more in numbers, but what they gained in strength they would lose in magic. She made a run for the door, when she felt the tip of a sword under her chin. She had totally misjudged how fast the bigger man could move.

“She will just be trouble. What he doesn't know will not hurt him.”

“Argon”, the shorter man said and took a step towards the one holding the sword against her. “We don’t kill for fun.”

Argon put more pressure against the sword, forcing Sasha to stretch on her leg and stand up on her toes. She tried to outsmart him, stretching her legs as high as she could, but also this time she was the slower one. The sword had already dug into her flesh. She felt a trickle down her throat. This would be messy.

Sasha smiled and pretended to go along. She needed the time to generate the magic. It was a pity that she had used so much already.

She collected the force of magic to a concentrated spot in her stomach. She let it flow towards her hands. It was enough, she couldn’t wait any longer. She hit upwards with all that she was. The man dropped his sword. It smelled of burnt flesh. Sasha pressed her hand towards her chin, the cut was deep. She had no plan, but she had to help Ella and with that she turned to get hold of the door knob.

Before she had the time to open the door it opened in front of her. The force of the door struck her in her forehead and it hurt. Her vision blurred. She took a step forward and tried to get a glimpse inside of her cottage, but the door was closed with force.

“Not so fast sweetheart”, the man with the yellow eyes lifted her up as if she had been a package of corn, and continued to walk. “I don’t know you, but I think I like introductions before getting more heavily involved.”

“May you burn in hell.”

“Elias, and we have already tried that, haven’t we?” he said. “Argon, Ville, it’s time to leave, and quickly.”

“Master, the old lady?” Ville was catching up with the fast strode of Elias, but there where an uncertainty in his voice, as if he questioned Elias decision. His two brown braids were bouncing when he walked.

“I told you not to ask”, Argon argued. “You always think too much.”

Sasha panicked. What had he done? She felt her mouth go dry. That was just seconds before the complete sky burst into flames. There were red, blue and even green flames. Total stillness, not a sound from the flames, but they burned, oh, they burned. The complete cabin was on fire, all the orbs hanging on the outside was lightning up, and the smell.

“What have you done!” she shrieked, her voice high-pitched and in total panic. She pushed at him with all her force, she almost broke free, but he held her back, somehow his anger matching hers.

Sasha started to collect what magic was left in her, when he put her down and forced a cloth in front of her mouth and nose. She felt the smell of drugs and a hard hit towards the head before her whole world disappeared.