Just because she had a weapon, didn't mean she was keen on using it.

Holding the blade low at her side, she did her best to avoid direct attacks, or getting pulled into a fight where the sides were difficult to determine.

Despite her best efforts, however, she found herself cut off by fae and shade alike.

Each time the blade seemed to react on its own accord, guiding her arm, or twisting her body to avoid an enemy attack. The weapon itself felt weightless in her hand and moved with great ease and precision.

Fortunately, the sword seemed content with simply disabling opponents and never went for the kill, even when the opportunity arose to do so.

It didn't take her long to reach the archway through which she and Elysia had come and she hoped she could remember the path well enough to make her way back to the Hanging Gardens were she had been kept prisoner.

After several wrong turns and having to backtrack, Claire finally found the room where Elysia had been with Jarrah. She wasted no time moving past it and back down the hall she had come through less than an hour before.

As she drew closer to her destination, once again she found voices drifting towards her.

Familiar voices.

"Is that the best you've got, Sevik? I'll ask again, where is Claire?"

It was Alek.

"I told you, she's someplace safe," Sevik replied, his voice dripping with feigned sincerity. "Give me the prince, no tricks this time, and I'll make sure she's returned to you in one piece. Physically and mentally."

Claire bristled.

Not only was Sevik attempting to use her to blackmail Alek, but he was bluffing to boot!

The worst part was, that Alek might actually believe him, he had no reason not to what with her missing.

"Fine, if that's what it takes, fine," Alek said at last, his voice heavy, defeated.

"No!" Claire shouted as she darted into the crumbling citadel.

Alek, who was facing the direction she had come from, saw her first and his eyes grew wide. He was kneeling on the floor, writhing, twisting shadows binding him in place.

No doubt the result of whatever trap Sevik had set for him.

Lurking behind him was another of those creatures Claire had encountered in the tower.

Sevik, who had his back to her, began to chuckle.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag now," he mused, turning his head to the side to look towards her. The lazy smile on his face faded, replaced by a look of utter disbelief that matched the expression Alek had worn.

"You never cease to surprise, Claire," Sevik said softly, his eyes growing dark. "Where did a silly girl like you come across that sword?"

Claire swung the blade out in front of her, aiming the point towards Sevik who had turned fully to face her. "Where doesn't matter," she said flatly, taking a step closer to him. "Call them off."

"I'm sorry?" Sevik asked, trying to act as though he didn't know what she was talking about.

"The shades, and whatever that thing is," Claire snapped, "Call them off."

"Or what?" Sevik asked. Claire was so focused on keeping the sword aimed at him, that she failed to notice the darkness moving like a mist towards the palm of his hand. "Do you really have it in you to kill me, Claire? To kill anyone for that matter."

"Do you want to find out?" Claire asked, her voice hard.

Despite her show of bravado, Sevik was right, the thought of killing an actual human being in cold blood, even Sevik, was unsettling to say the least.

Claire tightened her hold on the hilt and stood resolute. She would do whatever it took to stop Sevik, even if it meant running him through then and there.

"I so love it when a woman plays hard to get," Sevik grinned wickedly. "Very well, love, let's get to it shall we?"

Sevik dashed forward, the darkness in his hand trailing behind him as it shifted into a sleek blade whose surface seemed to absorb any light that came into contact with it. He moved much faster than Claire expected and her eyes grew wide as the newly formed weapon swung down in an arch towards her.

She heard Alek shout, but his voice was drowned out by the heavy, crashing sound of metal striking metal. Once again the sword seemed to move of its own accord, her arm twisting to bring her sword upwards to block Sevik's attack. The force of the blow radiated through her arm all the way up into her skull where she could feel her teeth rattle.

"Well well," Sevik hissed, pressing in. "You're better than I expected, but how long can you last?"

Gritting her teeth, Claire shoved as hard against him as she could. "As long as I need to," she shot back. Sevik retreated a few steps, keeping his blade poised in front of him. He still wore that signature smirk.

"I admire you, Claire, I really do," he said, never taking his eyes off of her as he strolled casually to the left, like a predator circling its prey, "but you must realize by now this is a fruitless endeavor?"

"You talk an awful lot, you know that Sevik?" Claire replied, her annoyance getting the better of her. She set her feet beneath her, and focused on every ounce of her training as a dancer to guide her feet as she matched his steps.

"Enough talking then," Sevik said, leaping at her once more.

Instead of blocking, Claire leaped backwards and to the right, swinging the sword low. She felt a moment of resistance as the tip of the blade sliced cleanly through Sevik's shirt. He looked down, clearly surprised, and when he looked back up at her, there was anger in his eyes.

"That is the second time you've drawn my blood, Claire," he growled, "Rest assured there will not be a third."

Sevik lunged again, his movements quick and unpredictable. Whatever she couldn't leaped away from, she managed to deflect, but only barely.

The uneven and unfamiliar terrain did little to help and when a dip in the floor caught her heel and caused her ankle to roll, the swing she'd been trying to avoid caught her upper arm. It sliced cleaning through the tattered sleeve of her nightgown and left a shallow gash across her forearm.

"Give up, Claire," Sevik insisted as she swayed to her feet.

"No," she declared before jumping towards him, ignoring the throb in her ankle.

She lifted the blade over her head, as though she were going to bring it down on him from above. Sevik, anticipating the attack, lifted his weapon in response. At the last minute, Claire adjusted her position, bring the blade down at a sharp angle. Sevik let out a yell of pain as the blade slide across his outer thigh leaving a long line of crimson visible against his pale skin.

"You bitch," he snarled.

"What's wrong? I thought you liked red," Claire taunted him, feeling a rush of adrenaline at her unexpected success. She wasn't sure where the movements were coming from, they felt instinctual, but Claire knew better and suspected it had more to do with the sword itself than her own skills.

Sevik let out a howl and lunged towards her, his eyes as wild as the flurry of blows he mete out against her. Each one seemed harder than the first and it was all Claire could do to block them.

He forced her into a retreat, and then backed her into a corner. Her back hit the stone wall about the same time Sevik stopped his assault. His free hand rose swift and determined, his fingers clamped around her throat, squeezing until she could barely draw breath.

"I told you, fighting me was useless," he hissed. She tried to swing the sword towards him, but he managed to grab hold of her wrist and began to squeeze. After several seconds, when Claire was certain he meant to break the bones and the pain was no longer bearable, she dropped the blade. It hit the floor with a heavy clatter and Sevik kicked it away.

"I hope after this you'll believe me."

He released her and Claire slid down the wall to sit on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Now, I have another promise to keep," he said, that devilish grin returning to his lips. He turned and strolled lazily back towards Alek, the slightest hint of a limp to his step.

It can't end like this. Claire thought as Sevik drew closer to where Alek knelt ensnared by darkness. She had to do something, but what? Her eyes shifted to where the sword lay several yards away.

It was her only chance.

Using the wall for support, Claire managed to get to her feet. Her ankle protested by sending jolts of pain through her calf, but she ignored it. Instead she focused on the sword, focused on what she needed to do.

"Now then, Drosselmeyer, where were we? Oh, yes, you were going to give me the prince," he said simply, as though he were asking for a cup of sugar and not the cursed sovereign leader of their country.

"What's this?" A voice rang out. "You guys decided to throw a party and didn't invite me? I'm hurt."

They all turned to see Draz strolling into the citadel, flames winding up his arm as he drew closer. "You okay, Claire?"

"Fine," Claire replied, her gaze dipping back towards the sword.

"Drosselmeyer?"

"Never better," Alek replied. "Get Claire out of here, Draz."

"I'm afraid that's not part of the plan," Sevik sneered. He made a motion with his hand towards the creature that lurked in the shadows.

"What the hell is that?" Draz exclaimed when the rat creature that had been hovering near Alek lumbered towards him. Draz took a step back, a look of utter disgust etched across his features.

"Kill him," Sevik ordered casually. The creature screeched loudly and suddenly sprang forward, clawed arms sweeping out towards Draz who was so taken aback that he actually retreated.

"You have got to be kidding me," Draz said as the creature continued its pursuit. Draz let loose a barrage of fireballs that circled through the air and slammed into the creature one by one. The creature screamed in fury, but aside from the overpowering scent of scorched hair, the creature unphased by the assault.

"Well, that's not good," Draz declared as the creature made another swipe for him. He leaped back and the creature followed, snarling and hissing, intent on completing the task given it.

"Come on little buddy," Draz taunted as he retreated towards the door through which he had come. "Lets have some fun."

As Draz disappeared from view, the creature skittering quickly after him, Claire did her best to focus. The sword gleamed in the moonlight which seemed to dance across its smooth, polished surface of the blade.

She reached down and grabbed hold of the hilt. The same rush of power she'd felt before, swept through her again, spiraling up her arm and settling in her chest.

Rising, Claire turned to where Sevik now stood over Alek, the tip of his shadow blade pressed against Alek's throat. Alek looked resolute and Claire knew he would die before he gave up the prince.

Turning slowly, she ignored the pain, she ignored the fear, she ignored everything but the power that pulsated through her. It had a calming effect, or perhaps she had simply reached a point where her own survival no longer mattered as long as Sevik was stopped.

Launching herself forward on her good foot, Claire let out a loud yell as she bore down on Sevik. The blade arched through the air, fire, brilliant and white danced along its edge. Sevik spun around, surprise etched across his face. He brought the sword up to block her, but his action proved to be useless.

The moment their weapons met, light exploded outward. Sevik's weapon cracked then shattered, the pieces disappearing in a vapor-like-mist before they had a chance to hit the floor.

Claire's weapon kept going, slicing cleanly through Sevik's arm at the elbow. He let out a shriek as he tumbled back and hit the floor. Claire turned towards him, crimson decorating the blade and the floor at her feet.

Sevik stared up at her a moment and then he began to laugh, a manic, desperate sound that sent chills racing across the surface of Claire's skin. "I told you," he exclaimed. "I told you! You couldn't kill me. You should have killed me."

It was then that Claire realized the shadows were moving towards him, moving faster and faster the closer they got to their master.

"You're going to regret not killing me, Claire," he continued, his voice growing dark. "You're still tainted, Claire, you're still damned! You'll never find happiness!" The shadows were rising around him, swallowing him up like some sort of living thing.

Realizing what was about to happen, Claire rushed forward in an attempt to stop him from escaping. She lifted the sword in preparation for another attack and swung just as the shadows engulfed Sevik completely.

Instead of landing the blow, her sword sliced through nothing more than shadows which swirled up like fog around her before fading completely.

Falling to her knees, Claire stared at the place where Sevik had been moments before. Ten seconds sooner and she could have brought an end to his despicable life. If she had just been faster, or if she had noticed sooner, then she could have ended it for good.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, startling her and causing her to look up in surprise. Alek had taken a knee beside her, his expression one of deep concern. Sevik might have gotten away, but Alek was alive and the prince was safe.

A feeling of relief flooded over her. The sword slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor beside her, and she felt the power it had given her fading away.

Turning, she threw her arms around Alek, buried her face in the crook of his neck and began to sob. He seemed to be taken off guard by her reaction because it took him a moment before he lowered his arms and drew her into a tight embrace.

"It's alright, Claire," he whispered quietly. "It's all over now."

"I should have killed him," she gasped, her voice muffled.

"No," Alek insisted, his voice sounding almost angry. He held her tighter. "No, Claire. You did more than enough, more than anyone could have asked of you. I'm glad you didn't kill him, that is a weight no one should have to bear."

Claire clung to him as he hooked on arm beneath her legs and the other securely around her shoulders. A moment later he lifted her up and carried her out of the citadel.

Claire slept as though she hadn't slept in days -- which, in all honesty, she really hadn't. She woke briefly to drink and eat a bit and then curled right back up beneath the heavy feather down blanket on a mattress that felt more like a cloud than a bed.

Elysia, who had felt indebted to Claire for all she'd done, had given her a set of rooms twice as large as her apartment back home had been. Not that Claire was making much use of anything in them aside from the bed and bathroom.

Three days after the attack, Claire woke feeling well rested for the first time in weeks. The room was located on the fourth floor of the main palace and offered a breathtaking view of the Winter Wood.

The sun was just peeking up over the trees as Claire let herself out onto a wide balcony. The morning air was cold, but Claire hardly felt the chill dressed in the warm fur lined robe and boots she had found waiting for her.

The sound of the door opening had Claire turning to look back into the room. Two young fae, female, entered carrying silver platters laden down with various dishes. They placed them on a table by the fireplace. One of the fae began to remove the food from the trays while the other added another log to the fire and stoked it.

When they had finished they both turned to face her and offered short bows.

"Her majesty will be pleased to know you are awake," the taller of the two said. Her black hair was cut short, the ends sweeping forward at an angle towards her chin.

Sure she will, Claire thought, more amused by the notion than bitter.

"Please have something to eat," the second said, motioning towards the table where the food lay, thin tendrils of steam rising in soft curls towards the ceiling. She looked younger, her hair styled in two long braids that rested across each shoulder. "When you are ready, her majesty would like to speak with you in her chambers."

Claire nodded, unable to keep that worrying feeling at bay. The two fae bowed again and made their way out of the room. Once they were gone, Claire made her way over to the bathroom were she handled her morning affairs. Adjacent to the bathroom was an alcove which held various garments, most of which appeared to be in Claire's size though she suspected each piece had been donated.

When she finally emerged she was dressed in a simple gown of blue, the modest rounded collar and cuffs of the long fitted sleeves lined with white fur. The fabric was soft and thick, warding off the chill, but surprisingly light which made maneuvering about easy. On her feet a simple pair of soft leather, hard soled shoes dyed a dark blue and embroidered with tiny gold and silver threads.

Her long, dark blond curls had been drawn into a single, thick braid which hung over one shoulder and shown like burnished gold in the early morning sunlight.

Quiet steps carried her over to the table. The sight and smell of food causing her stomach to remind her that she hadn't had a proper meal in days. She'd only just sat down when the doors swung open again. Claire looked over, expecting to see more fae, or even Elysia angry at having been kept waiting.

It wasn't either.

"I told you she'd be awake," Draz said the moment he spotted her sitting at the table.

"I never doubted you," Alek replied dryly, his expression one of signature boredom. When his eyes met Claire's, however, she spotted an undeniable twinkle of amusement lurking in their depths. "What I said was, I didn't think Claire would appreciate you barging in on her while she was eating her breakfast."

"Details," Draz said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He turned his sights on Claire, sitting in the chair across from her. "How are you feeling? We were starting to get a little worried."

"He was," Alek corrected him. "I knew you would be fine."

Draz scoffed. "Don't let him fool you, Claire. He's done nothing but sit up here in this room for the past three days watching over you."

"Three days?" Claire exclaimed, her eyes shifting between the two of them.

Alek nodded. "I suspect it has something to do with your body trying to recuperate after experiencing powerful magic. Lets try not to make it a habit."

Claire shook her head in disbelief, then turned to look at Alek who was examining a painting on the wall. He looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him before. His expression was one of contentment, of calm.

Had he really spent the past three days simply watching over her while she slept?

"Do you mind if I join you for breakfast?"

Claire turned back toward Draz who already had a full plate in front of him. She laughed and shook her head. "Please, I won't be able to put a dent into this," she said, looking towards Alek. "Won't you join us?"

He turned towards her and offered a smile and then a nod.

As they ate, Draz filled Claire in on what she had missed out on while she was asleep. The battle in the courtyard had ended not long after Claire had cut Sevik down and the shadows had spirited him way. The remaining fae who had gone rogue had been rounded up and imprisoned for their crimes.