Free Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C. Hines Page B

you from betraying them.”
    “Yes,” said Charlotte.
    “I remember that mark being smaller.”
    Charlotte shivered, but said nothing more. If she had been bound by a fairy mark, she wouldn’t be able to speak of it. The penalties for breaking such a bond were limited only by the creativity of the one who cast it, and fairies were unmatched when it came to inventing cruel new torments.
    “Isn’t that clever,” Snow said, moving closer to study the mark. She pressed her fingernail to the edge. “A second curse placed over the first to conceal it. I wonder if the first retains its magic.”
    “Can you remove it?” asked Beatrice.
    “The mark or the shoulder?”
    Charlotte whimpered and backed away, keeping Danielle between herself and Snow.
    “Relax,” said Snow. “Even if we cut off the shoulder, it wouldn’t solve anything. That mark is only the external sign of the curse flowing through your blood.” She beckoned for Father Isaac to approach. “What do you think? I’d want Trittibar’s help, of course.”
    For the first time, Charlotte appeared hopeful. She reached for Danielle’s arm.
    Talia’s heel slammed into Charlotte’s chest, knocking her to the floor.
    “She wasn’t trying to hurt me.” Danielle crouched beside Charlotte, who was gasping for breath.
    “Would you gamble your life on that?” Talia’s expression made it clear she would happily pound Charlotte into the floor if she so much as twitched.
    The king rose. “Do what you can to remove the mark. If she’s cursed, we can trust nothing she says until that curse is broken.”
    “Did Roudette ever say who hired her to kill me?” Talia hadn’t asked for leave to speak, but it was clear King Theodore tolerated such outbursts from Beatrice’s closest servants and companions. Chancellor Crombie’s scowl was the only apparent sign of disapproval.
    Charlotte swallowed. “Yesterday afternoon. Roudette had just returned. There was fresh blood on her cape, and she was in a good mood. She even offered me food.” She turned away, hiding her face. “I offered to pay her whatever she wanted if she’d free me.”
    “Pay her with what?” Danielle asked. She had to strain to hear Charlotte’s reply.
    “I told her you would pay.” Charlotte steeled herself. “I told her you were soft, that you lacked the spine to turn your back on your stepsister, no matter what I had done.”
    Snow coughed and turned away, but not before Danielle saw her smirk.
    Queen Beatrice jabbed her staff against the floor. “Tell us what you learned from Roudette.”
    “She was leaning over a hollowed stump,” said Charlotte. “She sprinkled something yellow inside. I can’t cast spells, but I can feel them sometimes. This felt like she was making a potion. She started speaking to the stump.”
    Father Isaac turned to the king and queen. “It rained two nights ago. A hollow stump of stone would still hold water. She could have been using it as a scrying pool.”
    Charlotte nodded eagerly. “I couldn’t understand the language. She kept saying ‘tav.’ ”
    Talia moved closer. “Tiav?” she asked, stretching out the vowels.
    “Yes.” Charlotte looked from Talia to Danielle. “What does it mean?”
    “It’s Arathean,” said Talia. “It means ‘soon.’ What else did she say?”
    Charlotte shook her head miserably. “How would I know?”
    “Talia?” Danielle reached out, but Talia slapped her hand away.
    The guards started forward, looking uncertain. Talia didn’t even appear to realize what she had done.
    “No,” said Danielle, waving them back. “It’s all right.”
    Talia punched a hand to her palm and took a deep breath. “Did Roudette ever say the name Lakhim?”
    “I don’t think so.”
    Talia relaxed slightly. “What about Mutal or Mahatal?”
    Charlotte nodded eagerly. “Yes! I remember, near the end!”
    Beatrice inhaled sharply. Even Snow appeared sober. They were both staring at Talia, whose face had gone pale.
    “Mutal and