“So. This is it. Are you ready?”

They were standing inside the walls. The horses in the stable, the castle in front of them. Sasha fidgeted with her bracelet. She had agreed to help Elias out, and he had kept his part of the pact. It was time to repay. They were going to pay the queen a visit.

“Ready? Probably not”, Sasha said.

Don’t be brave, Isaak had told her. Brave is for the stupid and you are not stupid. Be smart, and move fast. His advice had kept her alive so far, but now she needed to be brave. Or as her sister had said, I wish you hadn’t to do it because I can see the darkness, but I see even more darkness in all other directions.

“Elias?”

“Yes?”

She was nervous and eager at the same time. She didn’t feel as if she was ready.

“What did you and Greg talked about?” Sasha asked. She was prolonging the inevitable.

“Do you want to have this talk now and here?” Elias asked, looking at the door in front of them. Sasha nodded.

“What does he means to you?” Elias asked. His face was still, as he scrutinized her, looking for any reaction.

“He means a lot to me. He is my closest friend.”

“Just a friend?”

Sasha wanted to lie through her teeth, but she wanted answers even more.

“We had an agreement. None of us wanted to get involved in anything serious. It benefited us both. I had Isaak and he made anyone run a mile in the other direction”, she laughed a bit. So much for trying to protect her sister. “Greg had his career.”

“You are even dumber than I thought”, Elias said.

“And you are exactly as stupid as I have always known”, Sasha bit back. “Must feel fantastic being such pain in the ass.”

“He is in love with you Sasha. And not as a friend.”

Sasha looked away. She hadn’t known until that night with the knights of Aaliyah. This was none of Elias's business.

“What did you say to him?”

She narrowed her eyes, her voice gruff. She would not talk about her and Greg's past with Elias.

“I am a healer Sasha, and I am good enough to take away his heart ace. I offered help.”

“Always the knight in shining armor”, Sasha muttered, actually being impressed. Elias had surprised her. “I do appreciate it though. Really.”

“He didn’t want my help”, Elias cut her off.

Sasha looked dumbfounded. Why wouldn’t Greg want the help? Was he stubborn since it was Elias's offering?

“I will talk to him. He is being ridiculous.”

“Maybe”, Elias said, “but I am not so sure. Do you know why he refused?”

“No?”

“He said, that greatness is carved through pain.”

Sasha felt guilt in her stomach.

“I think”, Elias said and gently touched her arm, “that I like the guy.”

“Well I do too”, she said and took a big breath. “Shall we?”

It was time. She had to man up. She was a taker, and they were about to give her a real big gift. It would hurt, she knew from last times the queen had forced magic upon her, but it would hurt less than the tears threatening to form in her eyes.

“Are you sure this will work?” Sasha asked steering the conversation away. “Maybe you will not get what you want?”

Elias squeezed her hand, he smiled at her.

“I have steered the queen's magic before. She is a taker, like you, and I am a healer. I can read what she has inside, and I have some impact on what you will get.”

“She doesn’t know what magic she is waiting on me?”

“No”, Elias chuckled. “She only gives what she has no use of. Mother has collected an impressive amount of stolen magic during the years.”

Sasha thought back to the knights of Aaliyah, and her friend Evelina. Could he have known?

“What will I get this time?”

What was it that Elias wanted really? She had made a deal, but now she wondered. Why had he given her the power in the first place?

“Enough to enter the tower. It's a bit niched power, but you will be strong enough to be a force to count on.” He shrugged and smiled at her, but it felt fake.

“What is so important in that tower?”

“None of your business. A deal is a deal.”

Sasha looked at the door in front of her. The queen waited, but she felt in no hurry. She turned around, looking intently at the tower. It looked harmless. It was filled with books of magic according to the librarian.

“I might be strong enough to hurt you”, Sasha threatened, “permanently.”

“I am counting on it”, Elias said, “But you won't.”

Sasha almost laughed out loud, but she didn’t. Greatness is carved through pain Greg had said. Well, they were about to know. Elias opened the door for her and bowed slightly.

“Shall we?”

“Let's go”, Sasha said, pondering at what Elias had just said. He was wrong. If she needed she would hurt him. “Have you always been able to read the treads in people's auras?” she asked Elias, still not wanting to think of what laid ahead up the stairs they were walking.

“Yes.” He shrugged. He covered his eyes, looking away. Sasha laid her hand on his shoulder.

“And still you fail.”

She would play to win.

“No, I don’t.” He stopped dead in his track and brought her hand up to his chest. They were standing in the middle of the staircase. “You’re complete soul are humming, longing for the power. Longing for me.”

Sasha took her hands off him, grimacing.

“Remember that I warned you”, Sasha told him. “I am a taker, and I will help you gain access to the tower, but that is it. I will win.”

“I am not a prize”, Elias said. He continued to walk up the stairs. There was a chilly edge to the humoring voice. “But if I was, you would have to step up the game.”

Sasha was about to laugh out loud, but she did what was smart, she kept quiet and waited for the gain. The strongest enemy was always the one you didn’t saw coming. So she took one step ahead of the other. Walking into the lion's den.

And at the very moment, as Elias opened the door, the gain was materializing. In the form of the older and evil variant of Ivy. The queen sat at her table. She was writing on something, but the pencil had not yet touched the paper. The queen was just waiting for them.

“Dear son, I am so happy we have come to a solution to this problem.” She laid down her pencil, raised from the chair, and turned towards Sasha. “A wise decision. You will not find a better teacher and with some extra help we will correct the weak background yours.”

The queen looked at Sasha’s clothes and shook her head. She disapproved of the common. That was the least of Sasha’s problems. The queens disapproved of exactly everything she believed in. It was almost like approval. Her clothes were a good choice, covered in a loose black outfit, with quite much dirt on them. This would be her new standard wardrobe. On really special occasions she could add some extra glow to her jewelry. Maybe some black laces, or just more dirt.

“I am sure the queen will be happy with the development”, Sasha said through gritted teeth, looking at the queen's velvet red dress with disgust. It was too much cleavage, too tight, and too much. She looked like a sausage. She saw Greg in her inner mind and smiled. The development would hit them square in the face. The sausage would burst open in the fire, making a spectacular scene. Whatever Greg’s and her’s issues, he was a genius.

“I guess not much was to expect with such a tragic childhood”, the queen shook her head. “Well, let’s adjust that mistake.”

Sasha could burn her, she wanted to take the life essence out of her, no matter how much stronger the queen was. It would probably cost her all of her magic, but it seemed worthwhile.

“For a majesty as yourself, I must say it does seem odd that you hadn’t figure out you had twins. Are you sure you didn’t put us through that childhood on purpose?” Sasha asked with a smooth voice. “Humble the all and mighty or something like that?” She made her best sounding innocent. It was a curious question from a loving daughter, holding on to the last straws of hope. Or the hate from her most venomous enemy, which one you preferred.

The queen went forward, clasping her hands in hers. She smiled a big smile and slowly started to pour magic into Sasha’s veins.

“Your sister, she looks like me, but you. You are my daughter. You are like me.”

Sasha felt the pain in her hands. The queen was not a natural giver. To be able to go outside of her element meant she was really strong. That, and the implication that the receiver would suffer from the unnatural magic.

“Give her more, she can take it”, Elias said.

He had moved closer, laying his hands above the twos of them. The queen's hands were turning warmer. The magic was simmering in the room like black snakes. Sasha let out a cry, trying to pull her hands away, but the queen's grip was firm.

“Don’t hold back”, Elias pushed his mother, his grip tighter around their hands.

“You are like me”, the queens said, fixating her with her stare.

And she pushed the magic inside of Sasha until she fainted.